HEALTH bosses leading the town’s battle with obesity have welcomed demands to invest a further £8 billion in the NHS to tackle the condition.

Last week NHS England published its Five Year Forward View, which outlined a change of focus, from treating disease to preventing conditions such as obesity at their roots – measures which will require a further £8bn a year investment from taxpayers.

In Swindon, where 70.4 per cent of the adult population is classed as overweight or obese, organisations leading the fight against the problem have welcomed the calls for the extra cash.

Brian Mattock, Swindon Council cabinet member for health and adult social care, said: “This is a national issue which authorities around the country have been trying to address, and healthy eating plays a very important role already in the menus for school meals and in the classrooms. Of course, I welcome any investment that will help to prevent people getting ill and ensure their future health and well-being.”

Last month Emma Sperring started leading the latest project to tackle childhood obesity in the town with Alive ’N’ Kicking, a 10-week project designed to promote healthy and physical activity in families.

She said: “I think there really does need to be more funding put towards addressing obesity and more money spent on projects.

“There are programmes like Alive ’N’ Kicking which are addressing childhood obesity.

“We have been running since September and so far it is going really well. There have been a few teething problems but we’re still very new and finding our feet. I’m hoping it will go some way to addressing childhood obesity in Swindon.”

Residents in Swindon can be referred to Weight Watchers or a local programme called Dietbusters. More information about the schemes can be found at www.weightwatchers.co.uk/index and www.swindon.gov.uk/dietbusters. Alternatively people can ask their GP about being referred to a local weight management programme.

Pete Day, a consultant and team developer at Slimming World, who has lost more than five stone on the programme, said: “When I heard that Swindon was the fattest town in Wiltshire it just broke my heart.

“I totally understand how hard it can be trying to lose weight. I tried so many things to help me lose weight, but none of them seemed to work. I had seen Slimming World work for my mum and dad and in the January my dad, Steve Day, had been referred to Slimming World through his GP. “When I finally plucked up the courage to walk into the group it was a life-changing moment for me. I’ve got to say it was one of the hardest things I did, walking through the doors on my first night. But I was welcomed with open arms and made to feel at ease.”

Following his own success, Pete went on to set up his own group in Park North and in Rodbourne to help others cut the fat out of their lives.

To find out more about the Alive ’N’ Kicking programme and how you can get involved, call Emma on 01793 465412 or 07818 510563 or visit www.ank.uk.com.

For more on Slimming World, visit www.slimmingworld.com or ask your GP about being referred on to the programme Visit www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/5yfv-web.pdf to read the NHS England Five Year Forward View report for yourself.