25 May 2017 Food Active Annual Report: 2016 / 17
The programme has enjoyed some significant successes in 2016/17 including confirmation of the Sugary Drinks Industry Levy in 2018, tighter regulations on junk food marketing to children and locally, the adoption of the Local Authority Declaration on Healthy Weight by a number of North West authorities.
The Local Authority Declaration has grown in momentum over the past year with four North West local authorities pledging to take a whole-systems approach to tackling obesity. It will be interesting to see how each authority takes the work forward and we are currently evaluating the work undertaken by Blackpool.
Our sugary drinks awareness campaign, GULP (Give Up Loving Pop) has continued to grow in recognition both locally and nationally. Additional resources to support the campaign in schools and communities have been developed and we are delighted they are being utilised by a number of local authorities across the region.
The addition of a fourth priority to the programme ‘Healthy Weight in all Policies’ ties together what the Food Active programme is aiming to achieve – a whole-systems approach to tackling obesity and promoting healthy weight, in the North West. We look forward to taking this priority forward in the coming year.
With the launch of the childhood obesity plan – which was much weaker than anticipated – it is more important than ever for collaborative approached to talking obesity continue to influence at a local, regional and national level. This is why we are delighted to be supported by so many North West Directors of Public Health and their teams, and look forward to addressing the challenges that 2017/18 will bring.
