Section 4: Impacts of food and financial insecurity

The Marmot Review powerfully illustrated, inequalities in health arise because of inequalities in society - the conditions in which people are grown, born, live, work and age. Children who live in more deprived areas are more likely to suffer from obesity just as they are likelier to have a lower life expectancy.

In Gateshead we acknowledge that no single intervention or policy approach can be implemented to deal with inequalities alone. To tackle this complex problem, a number of approaches have been implemented in Gateshead and although progress has been made, unfortunately this is not at the speed we would want or that is required.

In the context of tackling obesity, we understand as a Council that we are in an influential position to help lead transformational change. A whole system approach to obesity provides the process and methods to do this and demonstrates a genuine 'health and wellbeing in all policies' approach. Gateshead Council has committed to working with stakeholders and communities to develop an ambition for a healthy weight generation in Gateshead. Progress has been made working with a wide range of stakeholders through workshops and consultations to ensure a co-ordinated approach to healthy weight.

In 2019, Gateshead was one of the first areas regionally to sign up to the Healthy Weight Declaration, in partnership with Food Active. The declaration is focused on population level interventions which take steps to address a number of factors that affect people's ability to change their behaviour.