News

Body-conscious gym and beauty fans are risking their health by taking dangerous and sometimes illegal drugs to improve their appearance in time for their summer holidays, councils warn today.

The number of 10 and 11-year-old children classed as severely obese - the most overweight scale - in the final year of primary school is nearly double that of those in reception, new analysis by the Local Government Association reveals today.

“These trailblazer councils have been chosen to help develop, deliver, review and expand their innovative plans to tackle this epidemic at a local level, which can then be shared with their peers more widely."

The Government has announced an extra £20 billion for the NHS, but is now taking vital money away from the services which can be used to prevent illness and the need for treatment later down the line.

Responding to today’s written ministerial statement confirming a cut to councils’ public health grants, Chairman of the Local Government Association’s Community Wellbeing Board, Cllr Izzi Seccombe

Councils are urging residents to keep an eye on vulnerable or elderly family and friends and help save lives as the nation heads outside to bask in the sunshine. 

People are being urged to ensure vulnerable friends, neighbours and relatives are safe when the big freeze bites, with a high chance of snow and ice in parts of the country.

Chairman of the Local Government Association’s Community Wellbeing Board, Cllr Ian Hudspeth, responds to annual adult substance misuse treatment statistics for 2018/19, published by Public Health England.

“What is needed is a universal adoption of a labelling system which provides an instant ‘at-a-glance’ understanding of sugar content."

Cllr Nick Forbes, Senior Vice Chair of the Local Government Association, responds to analysis from Diabetes UK showing that less than half of people eligible for an NHS Health Check in the last five years have received one.