National Assembly for Wales

Children and Young People Committee

CO 36

Inquiry into Childhood Obesity

Evidence from :  Caerphilly Flying Start

I apologise for the brevity of my feedback.

My response focuses on Question3:  The barriers to reducing childhood obesity in Wales.

Obesity is a cycle with strong evidence base with family culture and eating patterns and levels of poverty.

To reduce childhood obesity a continuum of care must be provided at times of transition between agencies.  This is namely identification by midwifery using a common assessment tool, this is subsequently transferred over to Health Visiting and then school nursing.  The benefit of this approach is that there is a common assessment, language between agencies and families and most importantly the age and stage at which obesity start will be identified proactively rather than reactively with all services trying to stop something which is already embedded,

I would also like to raise the profile of a programme H.E.N.R.Y which is widely used in England.  As a registered provider of this in Wales I have seen how by early intervention and the identification of key principles namely feeding ques, portion sizes and planning families can initiate sustainable change within their families eating patterns.

The raising of aspirations within families for outcomes different to their own is vital but this can only be achieved if we make every contact count and every opportunity a possible time for change.

I would very much to be involved in any other further work.

Andrea Bevan

Health Programme Manager Caerphilly Flying Start

Health Lead Family First Health Outreach programme antenatal  and early years)