NHS help onoffer to keepweight-lossresolutions

OBESE people in Rotherham who have made a New Year’s resolution to lose weight are being encouraged to get involved with the town’s specialist services.

Two months ago the groundbreaking Rotherham Institute for Obesity was launched as part of NHS Rotherham’s obesity strategy, which is set to cost 3.5m over the next three years.

According to current predictions, by 2050 90 per cent of people in the borough will be overweight and 50 per cent will be obese.

NHS Rotherham’s public health specialist, Gill Harrison, said: “New Year is a great time to look at ways of improving our health and, after the overindulgence of Christmas, many people see the New Year as an opportunity to lose weight.

“Keeping a New Year’s resolution can be tough but with NHS Rotherham’s new four-tiered weight management service, whatever your size or age we have the right weight management service to support you.”

As well as the Institute for Obesity at Clifton Medical Centre, the borough’s weight management service includes Carnegie clubs and camps for overweight children.

The fourth service is “Reshape Rotherham”, which is available to all those with a BMI of over 25. It consists of a series of 10 weekly, hour-long sessions designed to help people make long term changes towards a healthier diet and lifestyle.

Dr Matthew Capehorn, clinical manager at the Institute for Obesity, said: “Obesity is a growing problem amongst all ages of the population, with nearly one-third of children and over half of the adult population overweight or obese.

“In Rotherham we are leading the way in tackling the issue. However, we recognise that there is no quick fix and that it may take some years before the trends can be reversed, but with good advice, intervention and treatment we hope to raise awareness and understanding of the health dangers associated with obesity and engage the public with our weight management strategy.”