Henry Smith MP urges Crawley folk to combat Obesity‏

Crawley MP, Henry Smith, joined obesity specialists from across the country at the House of Commons to launch a national awareness raising campaign, My Weight, My Future.

The campaign, a joint initiative between the Obesity Management Association (OMA) and foodadvisors.co.uk, highlights the rapid rise in obesity and calls for urgent action from individuals, parents and families before the NHS buckles under the pressure.

Henry said:

“A more healthy weight improves lifestyle and helps relieve pressure on the health service.  Obesity is a huge concern and we cannot go on letting our National Health Service pick up the pieces as weight balloons in both children and adults.

"We can only tackle a problem if we know there is one. In our fast food culture many people have lost sight of what it means to be overweight or obese. As average weight swells across the UK we are putting ourselves and our families at risk.  My Weight, My Future is all about getting a grip on this, taking responsibility and tackling the obesity epidemic from the ground up.

“I encourage everyone in Crawley to support the campaign, details of which can be found at www.myweightmyfuture.com.”

Representatives from the National Slimming Centre in Crawley, which is a member of OMA, joined Henry Smith MP and leading names from health sector to urge everyone in Crawley and beyond to take responsibility for themselves and their families.  My Weight, My Future sets a challenge to the nation to ‘Know My BMI,’ measuring it at least once every three months.

The UK has one of the highest rates of obesity in Europe, with one in four adults and a third of eleven year olds classified as obese. Obesity already costs the NHS in excess of £5 billion a year and in this difficult economic climate, our health service is struggling to cope.

According to the National Obesity Observatory, 28.4 per cent of adults and approximately 1 in 15 children in Crawley are obese - above the regional average. The rate of physically active children is around 86 per cent which is lower than the average for England.