Projects will be rolled out to raise awareness of the benefits of healthy eating and exercise, as well as providing emotional support to children, in a heavyweight assault on one of the biggest health issues facing the city and other parts of the country.

They could include:

• The expansion of a schools allotments project from 30 to all 121 primary schools so that children can learn how to grow vegetables;


• Cookery lessons in schools for adults and children;


• More community support to encourage women to breastfeed, as research indicates that breastfed babies are less likely to be overweight through life than bottle-fed babies;


• Encouraging people to get out into the countryside and parks, such as through better public transport into the Peak District and better cycles routes and footpaths.

As many as one in six children in Sheffield are either obese or overweight by the time they leave primary school, and half of all adults are similarly categorised, putting them at increased risk of heart disease, diabetes and cancer.

Although the reasons can be complex, experts believe a combination of couch potato lifestyles, too little exercise and too much junk food is fuelling the problem.

City health service and council leaders have now been awarded £5m from the Government's Department of Health after a joint bid under the 'healthy towns' scheme. The sum will be matched locally.

Dr Jeremy Wight, Director of Public Health at NHS Sheffield, said that rising levels of obesity were a concern, but the situation could be turned around. "We will use a number of different approaches and evaluate these to see what works and what doesn't work."

The Government money was welcomed by the Central Sheffield GP Consortium, which includes practices in some of the most deprived parts of Sheffield, including Manor, Arbourthorne, Park Hill, Wybourn, Attercliffe, Tinsley and Darnall, and which have been looking at ways to tackle childhood obesity.

Dr Tim Hooson, a GP at the Northern Avenue surgery, who is leading the consortium's drive against diabetes, said obesity was an increasing problem "which impacts hugely on the health of the local population.

"The incidence of diabetes and cardiovascular disease is rising rapidly. Highly skilled staff in the local practices are experts in managing these conditions but they are struggling to cope with the burden of increasing numbers. Until now there have been limited resources available specifically to tackle obesity."

The others are Manchester, Thetford, Portsmouth, Tower Hamlets, Dudley, Middlesbrough, Calderdale and Tewkesbury.

Among the schemes being encouraged by the Government is a loyalty card allowing individuals to earn points by buying healthy food and taking part in exercise which can be redeemed for free sportswear or games equipment.

Other ideas include a grow-your-own fruit and vegetable project for social housing tenants and a project to help people learn to ride and look after their bikes.
Dr Hooson said: "We hope that this exciting new allocation of resources will allow us to commission locally-based services offering a wide range of services to tackle and prevent childhood obesity."

Sheffield is among nine 'healthy towns'.



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