The 2022/23 Director of Public Health Report by Director of Public Health, Oxfordshire County Council, Ansaf Azhar was recently released, focusing on achieving healthy weight and physical activity.

As of the time of report release: 58% adults were overweight or obese and 1 in 3 year 6 children were overweight or obese across the county.

The figures are shocking, in particular when we look at the inequalities that exist across the county, with rising numbers of children becoming overweight or obese, more so in deprived areas than the least deprived areas. YouMove has been helping families to enjoy being active together and to maintain healthy weight by providing free or heavily subsidised physical activity opportunities for families on or eligible for free school meals, the importance of which has become ever more apparent following the pandemic and current cost-of-living crisis, with more and more families dealing with the impact. The following statistics have been taken from the February 2023 YouMove report:

The behaviours needed to increase physical activity cannot be addressed by individual programmes or organisations working alone, they need to be encouraged and supported in a joined-up way across the system. YouMove is an example of what is possible through collaboration, having been funded by Oxfordshire County Council Public Health and co-ordinated by Active Oxfordshire, in partnership with district councils who work closely with families to help them connect to different activities.

Working together has a huge impact on our ability to improve the health and wellbeing of Oxfordshire, and we look forward to providing an even broader range of inclusive activities to thousands more individuals across the county in 2023, helping hundreds of families maintain healthy weight through getting active. If your child or children are in receipt of benefits related to free school meals, head over to learn more and sign up for YouMove today. www.getoxfordshire.org/you-moveThe full report by Ansaf Azhar can be found here: 2022-23 Director of Public Health annual report | Oxfordshire County Council