What is the
‘Why weight hub?’

The options and opportunities that are available in our local areas directly affect how healthy and how active we are. Our communities are now flooded with junk food advertising and takeaways selling less healthy food and drink options, whilst many places don’t have easy access to green spaces such as parks or free opportunities to take part in sport and wider physical activity. It is no wonder that many people find it difficult to maintain a healthier weight when our environments are stacked against us.

Food Active is working on a new long-term project to promote healthier weight across Cheshire and Merseyside

Responding to significant feedback from VCFSE organisations during an insight and scoping phase of the project, we are developing new resources and delivering training opportunities to build capacity and expand the knowledge base concerning healthier weight across the VCFSE sector.

The ‘Why weight hub’ has been developed for VCFSE organisations in Cheshire and Merseyside to help them collaborate with local communities and existing support services, support local people to lose weight, get active, and feel better in ways that work for them.

This digital resource contains a wealth of information on local statutory services and other community initiatives across the nine places in Cheshire and Merseyside that can help local residents lose weight and/or maintain a healthy weight. In addition, organisations can access a library of resources targeted at specific age groups and population groups with higher incidence of health inequalities e.g. older age, ethnic minority populations, people living with food insecurity.

What is overweight and obesity?

The World Health Organisation defines overweight and obesity as “excessive fat accumulation that presents a risk to health”. From a biomedical perspective, adults with a body mass index (BMI) over 25 are considered overweight, and over 30 are considered obese.

The number of people living with overweight and obesity has doubled in the last 20 years, with almost two thirds of adults now living with overweight and obesity nationally. In many parts of Cheshire and Merseyside, rates are even higher. Of particular concern are the growing rates of obesity in children – nearly a third of children aged 2 to 15 are living with excess weight, and younger generations are becoming overweight at earlier ages and staying overweight for longer.

How does living with excess weight harm health?

People living with overweight and obesity are at greater risk of developing chronic diseases such as heart disease and stroke, diabetes, and some cancers as well as being more likely to have joint and back pain. Overweight and obesity also has a complex two-way relationship with mild to moderate mental health.

Those living with obesity have an increased risk of developing depression over time, whereas people experiencing depression have a significantly increased risk of living with overweight and obesity.

We also know that people living with overweight and obesity experience weight stigma, or what some people refer to as weight bias. This stigma, often grounded in misconceptions about the causes of overweight and obesity, has profound implications for people’s health, causing unnecessary stress and often making it harder for people to lose weight.

What is weight stigma?

Weight stigma can be defined as “The discriminatory acts and ideologies, targeted at individuals because of their weight or size”.

Stigmatising beliefs, including laziness, lack of willpower, low levels of intelligence and unattractiveness can lead to verbal and even physical abuse.

This means people living with overweight or obesity are often treated differently in many settings including in education, the media, workplaces, and even healthcare settings, which can significantly contribute to overall health and wellbeing.

The causes of overweight and obesity

Whilst our genes and our choices play a key role in our health, it’s even more important to think about where and how people live, work and play. The postcode you live in, your level of education, access to healthcare and community services, your employment status and income all influence the choices you make.

With so many families struggling to put food on the table and warm their homes, many people have turned to low-cost food and drink products that are often high in fat, salt, and sugar, to feed their families. The cost-of-living crisis has only made things worse.

Healthier foods, such as fruits and vegetables, leaner meat, fish and poultry, and wholegrain rice and pasta, are expensive to buy and expensive to cook. We’re also spending less time physically active, in part due to fewer manual jobs, fewer opportunities to play sport, and concerns around the safety of some neighbourhoods. Not to mention the growing influence of social media.

Subsequently, an increasing number of experts and practitioners now understand that people living with overweight and obesity need more nuances support and opportunities, not more people judging them and telling them to eat less and exercise more.

How can the VCFSE sector help?

The third sector in Cheshire and Merseyside is in a strong position to help local communities and service users achieve and maintain a healthier weight, and to help people access existing support where appropriate.

Through this project, Food Active is working with local Council for Voluntary Services (CVS) organisations in Cheshire and Merseyside to promote awareness and use of the ‘Why weight hub’ by wider community organisations across our nine places. Staff from CVS organisations will receive training from Food Active to help them understand the resources available within the ‘Why weight hub’, how the hub can be used by wider VCFSE organisations at place, and to empower them to have positive conversations about healthier weight and refer onwards into local services and wider provision where appropriate.

Cheshire & Merseyside Cancer Alliance is already working in partnership with CVS organisations at place through the Early Diagnosis Community Engagement project which supports community organisations to engage with their users and raise awareness of cancer, its early signs and symptoms and the importance of attending cancer screening when called. We anticipate that both projects will work collaboratively to enhance messages on overweight and obesity as a key risk factor for cancer, with the ‘social action’ leads from the CVS organisations across Cheshire & Merseyside’s nine places playing a key a role in promoting the ‘Why weight hub’.

Resources & guidance to support healthier weight

Sefton’s CYP Healthy Weight Snapshot
Guidance Children and young people
Download resource
Talking to your child about weight
Guidance Children and young people
Download resource
Recipe cards
Pamphlet Adults Children and young people
Download resource
Healthy Recipes
Pamphlet Children and young people
Download resource
Food Parcel Meal Ideas
Pamphlet Children and young people
Download resource
Where food comes from, cooking and healthy eating
Guidance Children and young people
Download resource
View all resources

Local support & weight management services

We have developed a ‘one-stop shop’ for third sector organisations in Cheshire and Merseyside to help signpost residents to local support on nutrition, food insecurity and physical activity. We have also collated information on local authority weight management support services across Cheshire and Merseyside.

Local support

View support

Weight management services

View services

Get in touch

If you have any questions about the “Why weight?” hub or would like to submit information on a local support service in Cheshire and Merseyside, please get in touch using the form below:

We will endeavour to respond to all enquiries within five working days.

If you enquire about the potential to host your service on the “Why weight?” Hub, we may contact you for further information to assess suitability.

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