NICE's recently published guidance concludes that Britons are too sedentary
We’re facing an epidemic of non-communicable diseases related to the Way We live our lives – the diets We consume, the physical activity We don’t do
ies negotiate on them. But given the compelling evidence, physical activity is something that we continue to push to the foreground as a candidate for QOF.” The changing political health land-
scape is another area where Kelly sees more opportunities. Health powers will become devolved with the advent of the Health and Social Care Act, and the establishment of the health and wellbeing boards within local authori- ties (LAs) on 1 April 2013 will present more ways to tackle the issue. Kelly says: “The changes to their [LA's] responsibilities represent the biggest change in public health since the 1970s and I believe there’s a really big appetite to do it well. Effectively, prevention of heart disease and diabetes become the responsi- bility of the LAs." In order to help the LAs, Kelly says NICE will be publish- ing a series of public health briefings to assist in identifying things that can be
ISSUE 1 2013 © cybertrek 2013
done relatively quickly to improve the public health agenda. Firstly, the institute has published a new pathway aimed at policy mak- ers, commissioners, practitioners and other professionals, which sets out how communities can help pre- vent obesity. These include schemes to prevent harmful drinking, nutrition advice and the appointment of local ‘obesity champions’. While targeted campaigns aimed
at reducing salt in packaged foods and the traffic light food labelling sys- tem may be achieving traction, Kelly says much more needs to be done on a systematic basis to fully integrate changes into people’s lifestyles. Kelly says: “People get the message about diet, although they find it difficult to follow a good diet, but the dangers of inactivity are not widely understood.” To get people moving, there is a new set of guidelines on walking and
cycling, where NICE is advising peo- ple to make shorter journeys by foot or bicycle rather than by car. Whether it’s walking to school or work or to the cor- ner shop, the message is that these small journeys can really have a posi- tive and accumulative effect on health. To encourage these changes, how-
ever, Kelly says it will be up to the local authorities to modify the built environment to make it more amena- ble to daily physical activity. “Many things that make walking and cycling easier are within their grasp because they control traffic flow, plan- ning regulations et cetera.” Kelly insists he is not talking about expensive infrastructure changes, but simple things to remove barriers – for example, employers offering show- ers at work for employees who cycle, secure parking spaces for bicycles, and for pedestrians, safer pavements and better-lit streets.
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leisuremanagement.co.uk/digital 49
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