Tag Archives: Plan
Next stage of world-leading childhood obesity plan announced
Publich Health England (PHE) are now considering the evidence on children’s calorie consumption and are setting the ambition for the calorie reduction programme to remove excess calories from the foods children consume the most. These foods include pizzas, burgers, ready meals and savoury snacks and sandwiches.
Over the past year or so, there has been progress around reducing the level of sugar in many products.
The Soft Drinks Industry Levy has become law, coming into effect in April 2018 and PHE has formulated a comprehensive sugar reduction programme with the aim of a 20% reduction in sugar in key foods by 2020. Leading retailers and manufacturers have also announced they are, or already have, lowered the amount of sugar in their products as a result of these programmes.
Adults currently consume on average between 200 to 300 calories too many each day and children are following suit which is concerning. Reducing calorie consumption from sources other than sugar is critical to reversing the worrying obesity trend.
- 1 in 3 children are either overweight or obese by the time they leave primary school
- more children in the UK than previously are being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, some as young as 7
- children from disadvantaged backgrounds are more likely to be obes
Philip Dunne, Minister of State for Health said:
“Too many of our children are growing up obese, which can lead to serious health complications. We all have a responsibility to help people live healthier lives, but with a third of children leaving primary school obese we must take a comprehensive approach and now focus on excess calories.
This can only be done through strong guidance, grounded in evidence – that’s why we have funded a new £5 million dedicated Obesity Research Policy Unit to understand the deeper causes of obesity.”
Duncan Selbie, chief executive of PHE, said:
“A third of children leave primary school overweight or obese and an excess of calories – not just excess sugar consumption – is the root cause of this.
We will work with the food companies and retailers to tackle this as the next critical step in combating our childhood obesity problem.”
Evidence will be published by PHE early in 2018. It will then consult with the food industry, trade bodies and health non-governmental organisations to develop guidance and timelines for the calorie reduction programme.
The Department of Health has also funded the £5 million National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Obesity Research Policy Unit at University College London (UCL), which will look to develop a deeper understanding on the causes of childhood obesity, including marketing to children and families, social inequalities, and the early years of childhood.
Professor Russell Viner, Policy Research Unit Director and Professor of Adolescent Health, UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, said:
“Obesity is one of the greatest health concerns of our time and we welcome this considerable and very timely investment from the government. We are delighted that the UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health will host the new Obesity Policy Research Unit (OPRU). Preventing obesity in early life is key to turning the tide on this modern epidemic.”
Seven things to know about Express Scripts’ plan to limit opioids
As President Trump declares the opioid epidemic “a national emergency,” a new opioid management program from Express Scripts will limit the number and strength of opioid drugs to first-time patients.
Managed Healthcare Executive – Health Management
Refusal to treat obese patients and smokers: should this plan be put on hold?
In April of this year, the Vale of York clinical commissioning group (CCG) voiced their plans to make people wait for up to a year for treatment for non-life-threatening conditions such as hip and knee replacements if their body mass index is 30 or higher. The same restriction was to be put on smokers, with treatment being refused if they did not ditch the cigs. The decision incited a wave of criticism, with many stating that smokers and the obese are being seen as ‘easy targets’ and some going as far as comparing it to ‘racial discrimination.’ Following the backlash, the plans have been put on hold . When considering the future of the NHS however, was this really a step too far?
The cost
As we are all aware, the NHS is currently going through a period of uncertainty and strain, with budget cuts and insufficient staffing levels featuring heavily in headline news. With more cuts expected to take place over the next few years, it’s time to establish where money can be saved.
What is the cost of obesity?
The cost to the UK economy of overweight and obesity was estimated at £15.8 billion per year in 2007, including £4.2 billion in costs to the NHS. Taking into account the costs of treating obesity, lost earnings due to premature mortality and lost earnings due to attributable sickness among other things, the cost to society is predicted to rise to £50 billion by 2050.
What is the cost of smoking?
The cost of treating smokers in England was estimated at £2.7 billion in 2006 . Further to that there are costs in other areas such as the loss in productivity due to premature deaths (£4bn), cost to businesses of smoking breaks (£5.8bn), smoking-related sick days (£979m), social care costs of older smokers (£1.1bn) and the costs of fires caused by smokers’ materials (£259m).
What is the cost of routine operations?
Tim Wilton, president of the British Orthopedic Association, highlighted the cost of the most routine operations that smokers and obese patients were being refused:
He concluded that hip and knee replacements were very cheap for the NHS, costing an average of just £1 a day, ‘There is no clinical or value for money justification for refusing to fund hip or knee replacements based on BMI or smoker status,’ he added.
The true cost of smoking and obesity to your health
There is certainly a case to be made for encouraging a healthier lifestyle; however total refusal to treat those who are smokers or that are obese may not necessarily be the answer. With smoking and obesity being classed as two of the top contributors to life threatening illnesses and early deaths in the UK, it is time to assess the efforts we are making to live a healthy lifestyle to ensure we are caring for our bodies the best we can.
To learn more about how you can stop smoking, please read our blog which identifies 10 ways you can beat cigarette cravings. Please tell us what you think in the comments box below – we want to hear your thoughts.
If you are struggling with obesity and you want to talk with others and share tips and advice on how to shift the weight, please join in the conversation via the talkweight forum.
Eczema Cures and Diet Management Plan
Assuredly, you cannot work out any problems if you do not know the root cause of the condition. Ever heard of eczema? This is a skin disease that is frequently described as itchy, crusty and irritated.The worst thing that could develop is further infection in the affected area if not treated abruptly, especially the eczema on face. The causes of eczema are unknown and some assume that it is due to the over reacting of the immune system to allergens. The symptoms of eczema may possibly be caused by external and internal factors such as the substances around us and the food we eat. Nonetheless, there has been exclusive attestation that suggests food consumption can precipitate allergic reactions and can probably cause the incidence of eczema.
For babies, breastfeeding is highly advisable before introducing certain kinds of foods. Gradual introduction of food will help you and your baby in identifying certain foods which causes allergic reactions. For adults and other children, there are actually eczema diet plans available that could help you in determining the foods you should consume and avoid. You must understand that there are certain foods that could trigger eczema flare up and sometimes could cause infection.
You may check which type of foods can easily irritate your skin by doing a trial and error. Start by listing food groups such as poultry and dairy products. Consume them in one meal and check if you have developed any symptoms of eczema. If rashes started to appear, you must avoid eating these kinds of foods. Sea foods and shellfish could be eczema triggers to others. Some people develop rashes after eating chocolates, tomatoes, and citrus fruits. Food allergy may vary in different people.
Aside from the eradication of allergenic foods in your diet, you can add in your diet foods that can improve your immune system.Due to their immature immune system, babies and infants are commonly affected by eczema.You may increase your intake of vitamin and minerals supplements such as Vitamin C and E. Vitamin E is responsible for keeping your skin healthy and it adds extra protection to your skin against the different allergens in the environment.
If you want to determine which foods you are allergic to, you may seek the advice of a skin expert or dermatologist.Some doctors perform “patch testing” to determine which kind of substances and allergens you should avoid. They would also recommend and prescribe medicines and antibiotics you can take for eczema to subside. More often than not, there are people who prefer the natural treatments since they are cost effective and they have fewer side effects.
Certainly, there are so many things that you can do to manage this skin condition and following these reminders is one of them. It is very easy. All you have to do is to avoid the foods that can trigger eczema and add in your diet foods that can improve your immune system.
Identify the best solutions for eczema on face. Visit us online today and get information about the different causes of eczema.