Conference held to solve North East’s obesity problem
Jan 30 2010 by Robert Weatherall, The Journal
HEALTH chiefs have been meeting to discuss how to tackle the growing obesity crisis.
Doctors, fitness instructors, nutritionists and lifestyle coaches met in Newcastle to devise a strategy aimed at reducing the number of obese and seriously overweight people living in the city.
It is estimated that in Newcastle alone more than 45,000 adults are technically obese. Worryingly there are 3,000 children who also fall into the same category.
Those figures prompted Newcastle City Council and the city’s Primary Care Trust to hold the first-ever conference to formulate strategies for tackling obesity.
The meeting took place yesterday at St James’ Park and those present discussed ways of educating people on the importance of healthy eating and nutrition as well as exercise.
One of those attending was Coun Liz Langfield, executive member for Adult Care and Health.
She said: “Fighting obesity is complicated, but the basic principles are very simple indeed.
“If you eat more calories than you burn, you will be overweight.”
Coun Langfield said part of the problem to tackling obesity was making people aware they were not just a “little bit overweight” but actually obese and that their health was at risk.
