Food & Physical Activity Service Mapping

Overview

Tackling childhood obesity is a key priority for Birmingham. Current statistics show that 24.4% of Birmingham children are overweight or obese when they start school which rises to 40% of all children by the time they leave primary school aged 10-11 years (NCMP 2011/12).  85% of obese children are predicted to become obese adults with the associated health, social and economic consequences. Birmingham's national child measurement programme data highlights that obesity rates continue to rise and subsequently increase the risk of ill health in later life.    

Birmingham through both its ‘Health and Wellbeing Strategy’ and its ‘Obesity Strategy’ are prioritising reducing excess weight levels in reception and year 6 primary school children to 22.6% and 33.9% respectively by 2018. Birmingham has the 3rd highest obesity rate of the core cities at reception and 2^nd highest rate at year 6.

Why your views matter

Both physical activity and healthy eating programmes can play a key role in improving the health of our children. The National Child Measurement programme provides us with intelligence data of where obesity is highest; this enables us to priorities where best to place our services or focus development in the future as part of the multi-agency approach to tackle obesity. 

In addition to this and to further strengthen the business case for improving access to childhood obesity services we are looking to map the current opportunities that exist across Birmingham for our children. This could include anything from early year’s parent and toddler groups, to community clubs that provide opportunities for physical activity and health eating advice or after school clubs to community weight management programmes, sports clubs or even food growing groups.

This questionnaire  will enable us to get a better understanding about what is happening at a local level and help us develop an effective communication plan to ensure the services delivered are communicated to those most at need. It will also provide us with the opportunity to understand what the wide variety of organisations or groups are doing across the city that will in turn help from an action plan on how we can work together and potential develop for opportunities in the future.

What happens next

Thank you for taking the time to engage in this activity and we look forward to working more closely with you in the future