Obesity report sets out vision for healthy future

A long-term strategy for reducing obesity rates in a county said "obesogenic environments" should be "transformed".

The Obesity Charter for Cambridgeshire and Peterborough set out a vision in which "healthy weight is the norm" within 20 years.

An obesogenic environment is defined as a place in which people are encouraged to eat unhealthily and not do enough exercise.

It will be put in front of councillors at Peterborough City Council at a meeting on Tuesday.

"By 2045, Cambridgeshire & Peterborough will be a place where healthy weight is the norm, where all residents have equal opportunities to live healthy lives, and where obesogenic environments have been transformed to support wellbeing for all," the charter said.

It was written by Dr Damilola Akinsulire, Peterborough City Council's interim consultant in public health, said the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

The charter also proposed "supporting healthier individual behaviours through evidence-based behavioural interventions" and "implementing a coordinated, whole-system approach across organisations and sectors".

These measures could shape planning policies, workplace initiatives and food environments, the report said, rather than relying solely on individual behaviour.

It said obesity cost the UK over £126bn annually due to productivity losses and healthcare demand.

The NHS said one in four adults are obese, a categorisation that varies based on height and weight.

Peterborough City Council's cabinet will be asked to adopt the charter this week.

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