A NEW £100,000 initiative to help tackle childhood obesity in Cornwall will be launched at Heartlands near Camborne next week.
The Cornwall Hearty Lives Project is part of the British Heart Foundation's £11 million national initiative to help reduce health inequalities through local partnership working across the UK.
The launch on Tuesday next week will bring together parents, teachers and pupils from primary schools across the county and the Isles of Scilly to encourage children and families to adopt healthier lifestyles.
The event allows school staff to come together with health professionals to understand more about the causes and impacts of unhealthy child weight, with around 18 per cent of local 10-year-olds classified as obese.
Schools will also be presenting the work they have already done to promote healthy lifestyles.
Dr Kerry Bailey, Healthy weight lead at NHS Cornwall and Isles of Scilly, said: "We are grateful for the support that the BHF is giving to help us tackle what is a really pressing health issue for our children.
"An unhealthy weight at a young age can very quickly lead to serious health problems and affect how long we will live for.
"We are all guilty of making poor lifestyle choices but the key is to recognise them and try to ensure a healthy balance between what we like and what we know is good for us.
"It is also crucial that we start making the connection between health and physical activity in a way that is educational and supportive and involves the whole family."
The Cornwall Hearty Lives Project is part of the British Heart Foundation's £11 million national initiative to help reduce health inequalities through local partnership working across the UK.
The launch on Tuesday next week will bring together parents, teachers and pupils from primary schools across the county and the Isles of Scilly to encourage children and families to adopt healthier lifestyles.
The event allows school staff to come together with health professionals to understand more about the causes and impacts of unhealthy child weight, with around 18 per cent of local 10-year-olds classified as obese.
Schools will also be presenting the work they have already done to promote healthy lifestyles.
Dr Kerry Bailey, Healthy weight lead at NHS Cornwall and Isles of Scilly, said: "We are grateful for the support that the BHF is giving to help us tackle what is a really pressing health issue for our children.
"An unhealthy weight at a young age can very quickly lead to serious health problems and affect how long we will live for.
"We are all guilty of making poor lifestyle choices but the key is to recognise them and try to ensure a healthy balance between what we like and what we know is good for us.
"It is also crucial that we start making the connection between health and physical activity in a way that is educational and supportive and involves the whole family."
