Government turns to corner shops to help fight obesity
The Government is recruiting corner shops in the battle against Britain’s growing waistline.
Local shops in the North East of England will pilot an £800,000 scheme to encourage people to eat more fruit and vegetables in a bid to reduce obesity*.
Scotland is already operating a similar scheme, with some shops seeing profits increase by as much as 400 per cent.
The Department of Health will provide a total of £500,000 to local shops during the next three years to help them to sell a wider variety of fruit and vegetables and to display them more prominently.
Shopkeepers will also be able to link in with other local initiatives such as cooking clubs to teach customers how to incorporate fruit and veg into their diet.
Public Health Minister Dawn Primarolo said: "We all need to aim to eat five portions of fruit and veg a day. But we know that can be a tall order – particularly if you live in an area where shops don’t sell fruit and veg. Our aim is to help up to 120 local shops in the North East to sell good fresh produce."
The plans are part of the Government’s Change4Life campaign, which has been set up to help families eat well, be more active and live longer.
Change4Life has also implemented the ‘healthy towns’ initiative. Sheffield, Dudley, Halifax, Tower Hamlets in London, Thetford, Middlesbrough, Manchester, Tewkesbury and Portsmouth will share £30 million in return for developing a range of schemes related to cycling, walking, healthy eating and green spaces**.
Each year, around 9,000 people die prematurely of obesity-related illnesses such as cancer, heart disease and diabetes.
Westfield Health has always encouraged healthy living through diet and exercise and has developed a range of benefits to help policyholders maintain their health and fitness levels.
Many of Westfield Health’s cash plans include a health club concession benefit, which provides policyholders with access to special concessionary deals at a range of UK health and fitness clubs.
Most plans also provide access to a GP telephone consultation service, which enables policyholders to speak to a fully qualified GP 24 hours a day, from anywhere in the world. The helpline can offer advice on a range of health issues including exercise and nutrition.
References:
*http://nds.coi.gov.uk/environment/fullDetail.asp?ReleaseID=384156&NewsAreaID=2&NavigatedFromDepartment=False - Corner shops in the North East help customers eat their greens
** http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2008/nov/10/obesity-healthy-towns1 - ‘Healthy towns’ to fight obesity
© Westfield Health Insurance | 2009
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