An ambitious new advertising campaign to help mums, dads and families eat
well, move more and live longer has launched on TV, billboards and
magazines.
Experts say without any intervention 90 percent of today’s children could be
overweight or obese and at risk from serious diseases by 2050. The aim of
the Change4Life campaign is to kickstart a lifestyle revolution for every
family in order to halt this rising tide of obesity.
As part of Change4Life there will be extensive support and information to
help families and particularly children live healthier lives. Families are
invited to call 0300 1234567 to register for support, or visit the
Change4Life website.
The Government is galvanising support from everyone in the country, from
grass roots organisations to leading supermarkets and charities.
The campaign will help families to understand the harm that fat can cause to
their children’s health. It warns that a bad diet and inactive lifestyle can
lead to cancer, heart disease and diabetes.
Public health minister Dawn Primarolo said: ‘Change4Life has a critical
ambition. We are trying to create a lifestyle revolution on a huge scale –
something which no Government has attempted before.
We have adopted ideas from successful movements such as Make Poverty History
and Comic Relief which involves a wide range of partners, local
organisations, commercial companies, charities and, of course, millions of
people.
Change4Life is supportive, informative and reassuring – it’s not about
telling families what to do and what to eat. We want families to engage with
the campaign and understand that obesity is not someone else’s problem –
it’s all of our problem.’
Chief Medical Officer, Sir Liam Donaldson said: ‘There are two key things we
can do to be healthier. Eat healthier food and be more active.
Being active and eating well does not have to be expensive and it doesn’t
have to be difficult. We need to engage with parents and support families to
change their lifestyles for the better. Change4Life provides that support.
Whatever their weight, children need to eat well and be active. Children who
are carrying around too much fat in their bodies, are at risk of developing
a host of serious illnesses including heart disease, cancer and diabetes in
later life.
Healthy living should not be underestimated – and it’s never too late,
obesity is a medical problem that can be reversed quickly. With the
exception of quitting smoking, keeping a healthy body is one of the best
ways to reduce the risk of getting cancer.’ The adverts will invite people
to find out more by searching online for ‘Change4Life’ or calling 0300
1234567.
Once a person has called or registered for advice they will be able to have
a discussion with an adviser. If a person wants specific advice on healthy
eating or activity they will be referred to a specialist trained by
Change4Llife scientific advisers. All callers will be offered the
opportunity to receive further information as the campaign develops to
ensure that they get the help they need.
Visitors to the Change4Life website will be able to do a postcode search to
find local services such as cookery clubs, after-school activities and
sporting facilities in their local areas. In total there will be in the
region of 45,000 relevant contacts in England.
