Engagement on a new healthy weight service NHS Southwark Clinical Commissioning Group
Developing a healthy weight service In total 75+ surveys were collected from various sources Source Silver fit Southwark Disability Association CoolTan arts Twitter Morrisons Peckham Engagement database Fusion Number 18 10 5 7 2 13 11 2 Other
What support have you found helpful for gaining a healthier weight? Advice from your GP Advice from a Hospital Doctor Advice from your nurse Advice from a dietician Referral to an exercise programme Activities with friends
What support have you found helpful for gaining a healthier weight? Lifestyle: Books & TV programme Healthy eating Juicing forum 5:2 diet. Tools and Resources: Step monitor Healthy living monitor Calorie counter ( My Fitness Pal) Accurate scales General knowledge. Classes & Groups: Zumba Walking groups Outdoor exercise Thai chi (at Day Centres) Cooking classes- for social and skills Online support groups. Not Weight watchers/ Slimming world- bad for self esteem. Individual needs: Skill set and needs need to be taken into consideration
Is there anything that you feel stops you from taking steps towards a healthier weight? Physical illness: On-going back pain Hypos Diabetes Long term conditions Medication! Mobility Wheelchair use- can t exercise Long term conditions being treated with steroids and limited exercise capability. The medication makes a person put on weight. I never had a weight problem before I went on medication. It also makes it a bit more difficult losing weight. I m diabetic, am lactose and fructose intolerant. Any diet group I ve joined have not been able to help with a 'menu' that I could follow daily, as they say, 'you know what you can and can t eat. I have arthritis in my foot which makes walking painful I would benefit from aqua classes and chair based exercises or using weight machines.
Is there anything that you feel stops you from taking steps towards a healthier weight? Mental Health: Feeling stressed Feeling down Depression Emotional eating Embarrassment Low mood affecting motivation, Willpower Comfort eating Complex needs I'm an emotional eater so I have to work at managing my weight in relation to the rest of my life. I'm now ageing and now have to adapt to this Sometimes I might feel a little down or stressed and do not feel like exercising and sticking to my diet
Is there anything that you feel stops you from taking steps towards a healthier weight? Financial implications: Expensive gym Money Few cheap available classes Cost changes to facilities Expensive healthy food Cost of doing activities such as going to the gym is an obstacle- I think Southwark should make the leisure centres free now not 2016! Some people are on lower incomes and in some cases may find it hard to pay for healthy foods
Is there anything that you feel stops you from taking steps towards a healthier weight? Support and Information: Lack of support available Lack of information/knowledge, No support available for people with a BMI over 50. Some classes only take people over age of 40 My doctor referred me to an exercise programme at Fusion Peckham but if your BMI is over 52 they will not accept you so it is a catch 22 made doubly frustrating because if you can afford to join as a private member they will accept you. On-going, day to day support is needed e.g. being able to check in with a coach
Is there anything that you feel stops you from taking steps towards a healthier weight? Lifestyle: No time Industrial manufactured food Low fat, slimming meals not helpful Shift jobs Age Dangerous biking conditions Healthy eating and exercise not a priority Bad habits Take-away foods Cultural issues. Sadly my experience with my Dr's practice and other medical help was to eat low fat products or join SW/WW which just promotes processed foods. There needs to be an emphasis on using fresh produce. Work Demanding life e.g. managing energy services, medical appointments, maintenance, children. Being retired with a fridge nearby.
How important do you think the following professionals would be to help you to gain a healthier weight? Obesity Specialist Dr Obesity Specialist Nurse Dietician Exercise therapist Psychologist or therapist Free cookery classes Free diet/ lifestyle classes e.g. Weight Watchers
Who or what else do you think would help you? Individual needs: Seated exercises for wheelchair users Help at gym/ exercise for people with disabilities Special needs only groups Physiotherapy to help mobilise Transportation Easy read recipes Online modules for low literacy levels Disability- only diet classes Food therapies Hydro pool Evening sessions Disability specific weight classes would be preferable as I do not feel I could keep up with people without disabilities and get left behind.
Who or what else do you think would help you? Education and Knowledge: Healthy options in a restaurant Choosing healthy foods Benefits of different foods Different foods for different health conditions Nutrition talks & seminars Mood foods Consistency in advice More help with what food is good to eat & what food we should leave well alone
Who or what else do you think would help you? Support: Motivational trainers/ Life coaching Holistic health specialist Community groups Informal support groups Personalized advice Help with meal planning Regular contact/ drop-ins/ follow up and feedback Accessible cooking classes Herbalist Free access to gyms Alternative medicines (homeopathy, osteopathy, massage and detox) I live in shared housing with support from staff and they should be trained to help cook healthy food and help with exercise Being able to talk over problem in one location either GP's or health centre
Who or what else do you think would help you? Tools: Healthy living monitor Online support/ app Medication to help you lose weight Social media and encouraging text messaging Allowance to spend on healthy living A quarterly/ seasonal weekly menu of things I like, can buy, store, cook that fits in with lifestyle and not end up throwing away because of x y and z.
If all of the help was available in the same place. How likely would you be to attend appointments if located in the following places: Other suggestions: Library or other public buildings with private space Home Outside spaces such as local parks Church halls Estate halls/ centres. Do not want to go to the doctor for this. We do not what to stand out that we are fat as it is Having a medicalised model would not work as well as people do not want to be treated like a patient, but as a person.
Other comments and thoughts Please ensure help is available for all ages. Last time I looked it was over 40's only for Shape Up group. Kind of goes against early intervention principles! We need to tackle the wider causes of obesity; media, food companies, takeaways, bad food. To lose weight it is not just about food and exercise, it is about everything in an individual s life - past and present and future expectations. Existing programmes such as Shape-Up, Cootan Arts cooking, Silver Fit are working well for the people that use these services. Please, please, please take away this stigmatisation for those most in need of help with BMI's over 50 such that we can be referred to a gym, if we are willing and want to go please don't prohibit it.
Next Steps We are holding two workshops in April 2015 to speak to people who are struggling with their weight in more detail to design the service. The workshops are aimed at people with a BMI of 40+ or 35+ if they have other illnesses such as diabetes or heart problems. Workshop option 1 Tuesday 21 April 2015 18:00-20:00 (With refreshments from 17:45) Blackfriars Settlement, 1 Rushworth Street, SE1 0RB Workshop option 2 Wednesday 22 April 2015 12:30-14:30 (With refreshments from 12:15) Walworth Methodist Church 54 Camberwell Road, Camberwell, SE5 0EN