More smokers quitting, but obesity is a concern

CITY-WIDE HEALTH PROGRAMME IS HAILED AS 'A SUCCESS STORY'

- By LAUREN MONAGHAN

A HEALTH programme in Nottingham has found smoking is falling but obesity in children aged between 10 and 11 is above England's average.

This is according to new figures from the city's Joint Local Health and Wellbeing Strategy, discussed by the city council's Health and Wellbeing Board on Wednesday.

The strategy ran from 2022 to 2025 and was delivered by a range of organisations, including the council, education leaders, and health partners.

Four 'priority' programmes made up the strategy, focusing on strengthening support for people experiencing 'extreme' health inequalities; improving access to healthy food and activity; helping smokers to quit and reducing financial burdens.

In 2022, 20.9 per cent of Nottingham adults were smokers. This then dropped to 18.2 per cent.

Since the strategy's launch, more than 2,600 people in Nottingham have quit smoking, along with extra targeted support for pregnant women and people with serious mental illness.

Nottingham University Hospital's (NUH) maternity service has had a 55 per cent increase in pregnant women engaging with quitting smoking compared with the previous year.