Adult obesity
View this infographic as a high-resolution image.
Adult obesity in Medway
Obesity is a risk factor for chronic diseases such as:
- cardiovascular disease
- type 2 diabetes
- cancer.
It also has impacts on mental health.
Around 2 in 3 adults in Medway are overweight or obese. In 2020 to 2021, 69.4% of adults were overweight or obese in Medway, which is worse compared to England (63.5%).
In Medway, the prevalence of adult excess weight was 66.5% in 2015 to 2016 and 69.4% in 2020 to 2021.
Obesity does not affect all groups equally.
In England in 2020 to 2021, prevalence of excess weight in men (68.5%) was higher compared to women (58.3%). Adults living in more deprived areas were more likely to be overweight or obese.
Individuals are most likely to be overweight if they are in the ethnic group: black adults.
What's available in Medway
There are a range of services to prevent obesity and help people lose weight:
- Healthy Way is a free 12 week programme that will support you to adopt a healthier lifestyle and includes a pedometer that is provided in week 1
- Oviva is a digital weight management service providing one-to-one weight loss coaching and an app to track foods and activity levels
- Tipping the Balance is our community based programme helping adults with a BMI over 40 to manage their weight.
Physical activity services in Medway include:
Recommendations
The NHS and the local council should act as exemplars in promoting healthy food and drink in their venues.
All health and social care professionals should be trained on how to raise obesity related issues, and take appropriate action on weight management with clients.
It is also recommended to work on increasing capacity of existing services.