Public Health England Report to the East of England Clinical Senate Assembly – “Addressing the Obesity Challenge in the East of England” (March 2017)
Obesity is a major public health challenge and arises from a complex and interdependent interplay between political, economic, social, and biological forces. Addressing this challenge requires a systems and collaborative approach that includes, but is not limited to, clinicians and commissioners of health and care services. We all have a collective responsibility to embed actions within our daily practices and lives including
opportunities to enable healthier behaviours within the populations we serve. To make a real impact we therefore need to work together to create an enabling environment that facilitates better collaboration within the health and social care system in the East of England and across professional groups, from generalists to sub-specialists, commissioners to providers, and amongst clinicians in physical health and mental health.
PHE East of England and the Clinical Senate play a critical role in addressing this challenge. Through our data and intelligence, and careful review of local health systems’ pathways and plans in the East of England, we have identified obesity as a major driver of health care demand now and in the future.