About Sheffield – Let’s Change4Life

Sheffield – Let’s Change4Life is a city wide programme focused on addressing overweight and obesity in children and families.

Obesity is our most important long-term health challenge. It is likely that within a few years being overweight or obese will overtake smoking as the major cause of preventable ill health.

Levels of obesity in children and adults in Sheffield continue to be a major health concern. Recent surveys indicate that almost 60% of all adults measured are either overweight or obese and around one in four children in Reception Year (aged 4 and 5 years) are overweight or obese, rising to one in three in Year 6 (aged 10 and 11).

The current epidemic in obesity is due, at least in part, to the production, marketing and consumption of food. A general lack of physical activity and active transport, and issues with the built and wider environment also contribute to the problem. In order to tackle this issue we need a joined-up response on the scale we’ve seen to address climate change.

Sheffield is one of nine ‘Healthy Towns’ sharing a £30 million pot from the Cross-Government Obesity Unit. Sheffield City Council and NHS Sheffield identified match funding, taking the total programme value locally to £9,626,022.

The Sheffield – Let’s Change4Life Programme is an ambitious initiative which
aims to prevent obesity in children, young people and families through shifting attitudes and culture in the city at all levels and by delivering a range of universal and targeted prevention activities which focus on individuals, families, children’s centres, schools and communities across Sheffield. The activities will be underpinned by an ambitious social marketing campaign linked to Change4Life and a citywide drive to engage
third and independent sector partners in this agenda, to make the prevention of obesity in our city everybody’s business.

Specifically, the programme will deliver on 8 key areas of activity to ensure that by 2012 the obesity rates in Sheffield will be falling.

The activity areas are: