Maldon district must come to terms with weighty issue (From Maldon and Burnham Standard)

Maldon district must come to terms with weighty issue

1:37pm Thursday 2nd July 2009

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ONE in four people in Maldon are obese, according to the district’s health profile.

But these figures are similar to the national average and residents are taking part in more physical activity than in other areas.

The report, compiled by the Association of Public Health Observatories, has concerned health chiefs for mid Essex - especially as more children are becoming fat.

Jan Yates, public health improvement director for NHS Mid Essex, said: “The health profile shows that over almost a quarter of adults living in mid Essex is obese. Often our sedentary lifestyles make it much harder to keep to a healthy weight.

“We are becoming more overweight and as a result less healthy. The worrying factor is that this trend is increasing particularly among children.

“It is one of NHS Mid Essex’s top ten commitments to support families and individuals in making healthier lifestyle choices to help prevent life threatening diseases such as cancer, heart disease and diabetes.

“We would request people to take advantage of NHS services to help lose weight,” she added.

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