Sandwell hospital boss says 'obesity emergency' must be tackled
A hospital boss has declared an "obesity emergency" in part of the region and said urgent action is needed to tackle the problem.
Toby Lewis, chief executive of Sandwell's NHS trust, revealed experts are preparing a "response" to the crisis and that the organisation would be working with schools on the issue.
He said it was "crucial" families could "buy good food, cook it well" as well as exercise.
Mr Lewis leads the trust which runs Sandwell General and Birmingham City hospitals and conditions related to obesity can pile huge pressure on hospitals.
The Black Country as a whole has had a huge problem with obesity over recent years.
It was revealed last year that children in Sandwell and Wolverhampton are some of the fattest in the UK, while Wolverhampton Council banned takeaways from opening within 400 metres of schools in an effort to tackle the issue.
The Sandwell trust raised eyebrows earlier this month when it opened new vaping shops inside its two hospitals, which include discounts for staff, as part of a drive to ban smoking on the sites.
Mr Lewis has defended the move and has quoted advice from Public Health England that vaping is 95 per cent less harmful than smoking.
Announcing plans on Twitter, Mr Lewis said: "Over the next 2-3 months Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust (SWBH) will be finalising our response to the obesity emergency across west Birmingham and Sandwell (as) part of our Public Health Plan.
"Thank you to all our staff who have contributed ideas to our obesity approach. Chance to shape ideas over the next month.
"Look forward to working with schools, third sector allies, GP colleagues and public health directors to frame the SWBH response on obesity. Simple challenge, complex problem, brave solutions.
"Important to learn from failures and successes in the work we have done locally on alcohol misuse and on smoke free, as we create an approach about staff, families and patients on obesity across SWBH; balance of hope and brutal honesty about the health impacts.
"One of the big challenges of obesity locally is opportunity - crucial neighbours can buy good food, cook it well, run and swim, that stuff. Maybe need to move NHS £s that way - or open more shops!"
