Boris Johnson announces £70m fund to tackle obesity crisis
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The Prime Minister has announced councils in England will receive an extra £70m to help overweight and obese people to slim down, including plans to offer financial rewards for those who manage to lose weight.
Around 700,000 people across the country will benefit from weight loss courses from providers such as Weight Watchers or Slimming World to help them shed unwanted pounds.
The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has also asked Sir Keith Mills, creator of the Nectar reward scheme, to look into whether financial incentives would motivate people to eat healthier and exercise more.
The plans will draw on examples such as the national step challenge in Singapore — a nationwide exercise programme programme offering financial incentives for Singaporeans who do more physical activity as part of their daily lives.
Around two-thirds of adult Brits are overweight or obese. Scientists have drawn links between a higher body mass index (BMI) and a greater risk of being infected with coronavirus.
The new scheme will prioritise helping those who need the most support to achieve a healthier lifestyle, including people living in some of the most deprived areas of the country.
Boris Johnson earlier this year said he is determined to tackle Britain’s obesity crisis following his admission to intensive care with Covid, admitting that he was “too fat”.
The PM is understood to have slimmed down from a reported 17st at the time he went into St Thomas’ hospital and has been spotted on regular jogs around St James’ Park.
“Losing weight is hard, but making small changes can make a big difference. Being overweight increases the risk of becoming ill with Covid. If we all do our bit we can reduce our own health risks but also take pressure off the NHS,” the Prime Minister said.
Katharine Jenner, the campaign director of Action on Sugar and Action on Salt, and an academic at Queen Mary University of London, said: “Whilst there are some effective weight management support services which are mainly accessed through the NHS, many are often limited, underfunded and have extensive waiting lists.
“It’s therefore imperative that multi-disciplinary supported weight loss services are adequately funded and signposted and their long-term effectiveness properly researched.”