Health professionals in Tower Hamlets now have access to the “Child Healthy Weight Directory of Support Services”; a one-stop resource to connect children, young people and families to resources and services relating to accessing healthy weight help in the borough.
Developed in partnership with the GP Care Group and London Borough of Tower Hamlets, the 17-page directory was developed following a borough wide mapping activity of community, universal, target and specialist healthy weight support services. It draws from the Tower Hamlets Local Offer, Clarity, and other service directories in the borough.
The Child Healthy Weight Directory of Support Services brings together in one document all the available support services and assets in Tower Hamlets that help families to address obesity and its drivers. Because there is no one-size fits all solution when it comes to weight support, the directory takes a holistic approach by listing support that considers the wider determinants of healthy weight and addresses the drivers of obesity.
Reframing how we think and talk about obesity is essential. Obesity has long been misunderstood, with people attributing excess weight to personal responsibility and holding simplistic belief about what works e.g. ‘eat less -move more’. This has resulted in the rise of weight stigma and for professionals, narrow and sometimes inappropriate support. The directory addresses these issues and includes targeted support for health professionals including ‘Healthy Weight Digital Resources – page 12’ and ‘Resources and training opportunities for professionals – page 17’.
When having conversations about health and weight professionals should avoid making any assumptions and should instead try to understand the individual’s circumstances so that the right support can be offered. This directory should be used as a supportive tool when having these conversations, so families can be directed to services that best meet their needs. This could be a parenting programme, food bank, or mental and emotional health support.
As weight can be a sensitive topic, a couple of “intervention guides” are currently in development to offer professionals guidance and prompts for effective and positive communication.
This directory is non-exhaustive and will be reviewed and updated bi-annually. Please contact: thgpcg.childhealthyweight@nhs.net for any service changes.
