Posted on Friday 14th January 2022
People in Staffordshire who want to work towards a healthier weight are being reminded that help is at hand.
The Better Health Staffordshire campaign is being delivered by Staffordshire County Council and health partner Everyone Health Staffordshire.
Free telephone advice and support, face-to-face and virtual appointments are being made available to people living in Staffordshire.
To be eligible for the service, people must be aged 18 or over and have:
- a BMI of 28+ with a long-term medical condition, or
- a BMI of 30+ without
The support includes free weekly sessions with 45 minutes of exercise and 45 minutes of nutritional advice, for people to learn more about eating healthily and creating long-term healthy eating habits.
Johnny McMahon, Staffordshire County Council’s Cabinet Support Member for Public Health and Integrated Care said:
“With the start of the new year and as a result of last year’s lockdowns, many people are now looking to lose weight or make healthier lifestyle changes.
“We know how hard this can be for people, which is why we’ve launched our latest campaign with Everyone Health Staffordshire.
"As well as offering people practical support to eat well and move more with easy swaps, easy recipes and exercise ideas, we’ll also be signposting people to other resources and support services.
“It’s never too late to make changes to help improve your health and manage your weight better.
"And remember, you’re not on your own.
"There is advice and support available so please get in touch with the service and let’s do it together.”
The Staffordshire-wide campaign ties in with the national Better Health campaign which re-launched in the summer after research showed that 41% of adults in England had put on weight since the first lockdown in March 2020.
Last year Everyone Health Staffordshire supported thousands of people to manage their weight.
Kimberley Yeung, Nutritionist and Community Engagement Programme Manager said:
“Maintaining a healthy weight can do so much for both your physical and mental wellbeing, which is why we’ve teamed up with the county council for this new campaign.
“Our service is designed to help people create long-term healthy eating habits.
"Our sessions are delivered by qualified nutritionists and supported by physical activity specialists to help maximise weight loss through a tailored exercise programme.”
Losing just 5% off your body weight can seriously reduce the chances of heart disease and could make all the difference in preventing treatable heart conditions.
Amy Foster, aged 34, lost 10% of her body weight thanks to the support from Everyone Health Staffordshire. Amy said:
“I am very thankful for all the help and support I received from the team.
“My instructor Emma was amazing and adapted the class to everyone’s needs and was very motivational.
"I had phone calls to check how I was getting on and to see if I needed any help.
"Everyone Health has helped me lose over 10% of my body weight and most importantly made me feel healthier and fitter.
“I will be forever grateful for all their help and I’m determined to carry on what I have learnt.
"I would highly recommend this programme; it’s an amazing scheme we have in our area.”
Those eligible for the support can find out more on the Everyone Health Staffordshire website.
Anyone interested in reaching a healthy weight can also get general advice and support on the free NHS App. Search ‘NHS Weight Loss Plan’ in your app store.