Public Health, Sustainability and Physical Activity

1
Public Health, Sustainability and Physical
Activity

• Claire King
• Obesity Coordinator Dorset and Somerset
• Department of Health South West
• 27th February 2009

2
Multi-Agency Approach

• November 2008 South Somersets Local Strategic
  Partnership published their new 20 year
  Sustainable Community Strategy. Focus on
  challenging issues.
• Process has been facilitated by Sustainability
  South West. This encouraged
• ?Integrated approach
• ?Maximising win-win-wins
• ?Turn around unsustainable trends

3
Strategic Priorities

• Public Health influenced inclusion of a all age
  obesity objective
• Three year timescale of LAA exceeded
• Adult as well as child obesity included
• Commissioned services e.g. B Active

4
Linking Obesity to Climate Change

• Focus on Yeovil reduce obesity and carbon
  emissions, tackle health inequalities
• Yeovil SST within RSS
• Designated Air Quality Management Area
• Cross Cutting action to increase levels of
  walking and cycling within the town (high levels
  of self-containment so modal shift possible)

5
Support from Department of Health South West

• Healthy Weight, Healthy Lives (2008) Theme 3
  Physical Activity and the Built Environment
• Partnership between DHSW and the University of
  the West of England
• Visioning day to be held in Yeovil

6
Aims of Visioning Event

• Scope the extent and scale of interventions
  required for implementation both hard
  interventions (physical structure) and soft
  interventions (management, social marketing etc.)
• Gauge the political context barriers and
  supporting factors
• Assess the stakeholders and stakeholder processes
  necessary for success
• Examine through stakeholder involvement the broad
  order of cost of such an intervention and
  timeframe options for implementation

7
Scoping of Ideas

• Improvements and extension to cycle path network
• Cycling and Walking the loop
• Motivational Signage
• Links to green spaces and community hubs
• SSDC Active Workplace green exercise

8
Commendation

• Sustainability South West have commended South
• Somersets new SCS for
• Adopting an integrated approach
• Aspirations to achieve early progress towards a
  carbon neutral economy
• Joined-up thinking around aspects of health
  well-being and transport
• Strong potential of a keep it local campaign
• A sophisticated approach to developing sense of
  place and elements of community cohesion

9
Summary

• The championing of a multi-agency approach to
  tackling obesity
• The consideration of a carbon-neutral environment
  at all stages of the SCS development
• The Planning/Active Travel knowledge of the LSP
  Public Health representative
• The link to regional support and signposting

10
For Discussion

• How do we ensure active travel
• and the links between obesity and
• sustainability are understood and
• championed in multi-agency
• settings?

10