Obesity

Thursday 19th November 2009, IET London: Savoy Place, 09:20 - 16:15

Tackling Obesity: Healthy Weight, Healthy Lives

“We know how important it is to make sure young people get off to the best possible start in life which is why we launched our Child Health Strategy earlier this year and will continue to invest in initiatives such as our Change4Life programme and Sure Start Centres to support children and parents to lead a healthier lifestyle.”

Gordon Brown, Prime Minister, July 2009

Overview

It is over a year since Healthy Weight, Healthy Lives: A Cross-Government Strategy for England was published (January 2008). It was seen as the first step in a sustained programme to combat obesity and support people to maintain a healthy weight. In April 2009, the Government published One Year On. The report sets out how we can continue our drive to combat obesity by helping people to make healthier choices; creating an environment that promotes healthy weight; providing quality services that identify, advise, refer and treat those at risk; and strengthening the delivery system.

Promoting physical activity is one of the main aims of the Government’s obesity strategy. More than 27 million adults in England are not getting enough exercise and 14 million do not complete 30 minutes a week. The London 2012 Games make this the perfect opportunity to get active and involved in sport. Before, During and After: Making the Most of the London 2012 Games was launched in June 2008 and set out the ambitious target to get two million people more active by 2012.

The challenge now is to build on this and the unique opportunity of the London 2012 Games to go further: to use sport to inspire activity – and to sustain increased participation beyond 2012. Key to achieving this is schools, colleges, the community, sports clubs and governing bodies working together to revitalize sport.

The Government’s 'Be Active, Be Healthy' strategy puts physical activity at the heart of communities and at the centre of local authorities' efforts to tackle obesity. The launch of the government’s integrated social marketing campaign Change4Life, has called for a lifestyle revolution.

This new movement aims to improve children’s diets and levels of activity so reducing the threat to their future health and happiness. Change4Life is calling on a host of national, regional and local partners – from within government, health care, the media and the commercial and voluntary sectors - to help.

The Government has set itself the goal of being the first major nation to reverse the rising tide of obesity and overweight in the population. For this ambition to be met it is essential that all sectors from the early years, to schools and food, from sport and physical activity to planning, transport and the health service are joint up.

Agenda

09:20	Registration and Coffee
10:00	Chair’s Welcome Address Dr Caroline Small, Executive Director, International Association for the Study of Obesity (IASO) (CONFIRMED)
10:05	Healthy Weight Healthy Lives - One Year On Helping people make healthier choices A national movement for change - Change4Life Creating an environment that promotes healthy weight Effective services for those at risk Strengthening delivery Pamela Naylor, Regional Healthy Weight Lead, Department of Health - South East, Government Office South East (CONFIRMED)
10:25	Keynote: Effective Services for Those at Risk Early identification and intervention for patients at risk Equipping GPs with the skills and confidence to raise the issue of weight with their patients Reaching those hard to reach Developing a coordinated approach among health professionals Professor Amanda Howe, Assistant Honorary Secretary, Royal College of General Practitioners (CONFIRMED)
10:45	Using Social Marketing as a Total to Combat Obesity Social marketing as an effective campaign tool - Change4Life campaign – 6 months on How Local Authorities are promoting active living to stay healthy through social marketing Building capabilities and skills in social marketing Extending reach through communication technology Resourcing a social marketing strategy Amanda Stocks, Regional Social Marketing Manager for Yorkshire and the Humber, National Social Marketing Centre (CONFIRMED)
11:05	Questions and Answers Session
11:25	Coffee and Networking
11:45	Promoting Healthy Weight in Early Years Future role of nurses, midwives and health visits Ante-natal education programme and preparing for parenthood programme Breastfeeding and early months: advice and support Tam Fry, Board Member, National Obesity Forum & Chair, Child Growth Foundation (CONFIRMED)
12:05	Public Health Approaches to Obesity: NICE Guidance Background Guidance development process Existing guidance – what works for children and adults Forthcoming guidance Dr Adrienne Cullum, Public Health Analyst, Centre for Public Health Excellence, The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) (CONFIRMED)
12:25	Obesity, Ethnicity and Inequality - The View from Cardiology Understanding the health needs of people of South Asian heritage Designing research to inform the provision of health and social services Practice-based commissioning to better meet the needs of South Asian communities Communicating public health messages with hard-to-reach groups Dr Sandy Gupta, Consultant Cardiologist, Whipps Cross and St Bartholomews Hospitals (CONFIRMED)
12:45	Questions and Answers Session
13:00	Lunch and Networking
14:00	London 2012: Creating a Physical Activity Health Legacy Go London strategy - an active and healthy London for 2012 and beyond Utilising the festival effect of the Games Using incentives and technology to drive up participation in physical activity Hilary Ross, 2012 Programme Director, NHS London (CONFIRMED)
14:20	Building Physical Activity into Our Everyday Lives, Making the Most of our Natural Environment Connecting with the natural environment Walking your way to health Converng policy into action Increase accessible attractive Green Space Engaging with NHS and Local Authorities Role of the Physical Activity Alliance Dr William Bird, Strategic Health Advisor, Natural England and Chair, Physical Activity Alliance (CONFIRMED)
14:40	Coffee and Networking
15:00	Healthy Environments for Active Travel Impact of past transport policy on public health Public policy and guidance advocating walking and cycling Accessibility versus mobility Research illustrating the potential for change in urban travel choice Examples of good practice from around Europe Philip Insall, Director, Health, Sustrans and Member, Physical Activity Alliance (CONFIRMED)
15:20	Tower Hamlets Healthy Borough Programme What is Tower Hamlets doing as a Health Town to lead the way in encouraging people to be healthy? Healthy Borough Programme Active Travel Active Lives Healthy Food Keith Williams, Head of the Tower Hamlets Programme, NHS Tower Hamlets (CONFIRMED)
15:40	Questions and Answers Session
16:15	Chair's Summary and Conclusions

*programme subject to change without notice

Audience

The audience will be comprised of local authorities, health professionals, strategic health authorities, central government departments & bodies, schools, clinical specialists, public health specialists, primary care workers academia, lifestyle clinicians and professionals, foundation trusts, trade unions, private, legal & voluntary sectors.