Healthy weight and good food

There is strong evidence that living at a healthy weight, and eating a good diet, are both important to our health. The Global Burden of Disease Study 2019 estimated high Body Mass Index (BMI) to be the third highest risk factor for illness and disease for Stockon-on-Tees (as it is for the UK). Other top risk factors such as high blood sugar and high blood pressure, are also linked to excess weight and diet.  

Obesity is a risk factor for several health conditions including:

• cardiovascular disease
• diabetes
• some cancers
• musculoskeletal disorders

In addition, obesity during pregnancy can result in increased risks for both pregnant mothers and their babies.

In the UK, almost two thirds of adults are above a healthy weight, and obesity rates have been rising for over 20 years. In Stockton-on-Tees, more adults are overweight or obese than in England as a whole. Amongst children, prevalence of excess weight increased significantly during COVID-19. For reception age children average prevalence of obesity in Stockton-on-Tees has come back down to similar levels to pre-Covid.  However, the impact of COVID-19 has been more long lasting for some children, with prevalence of obesity amongst year 6 children remaining significantly higher than pre-Covid, and higher than the England average.

There are significant inequalities in relation to healthy weight and good food, with those living in areas of high deprivation having a higher likelihood of experiencing obesity and being less likely to have access to good food. These inequalities are evident from a young age, with children starting school in some of our more deprived areas in Stockton-on-Tees already more than twice as likely to be experiencing obesity as children in some of our most affluent areas.

The Government Obesity Strategy was launched in 2020. The strategy describes how helping people to achieve and maintain a healthy weight is one of the most important interventions to improve our nation's health. The government also introduced several measures to tackle childhood obesity outlined in its Plan for Action on Child Obesity (2016), recognising that the burden is falling hardest on those children from low-income backgrounds.

The Government Food Strategy was published in 2022 and responded to Henry Dimbleby's independent review of the food system.

It included policy initiatives to boost:

• health
• sustainability
• accessibility of diets
• security of food supply