PHA reinforce sensible drinking in Alcohol Awareness Week

Recent health figures show that 20% of adults surveyed admitted to drinking over the weekly alcohol limits (1)so the Public Health Agency is using Alcohol Awareness Week (14-20th November) to reinforce the importance of drinking sensibly and staying within safe alcohol limits.Government guidelines on safe drinking are 21 units per week for males and 14 units per week for females. Staying within these limits is important as excessive and binge drinking can lead, in the short term, to increased risk of accidents, antisocial behaviour, impact on relationships, unplanned pregnancy. Longer term it can damage the liver, heart, brain and stomach, not to mention the other human costs, and costs to the economy and society as a whole.Owen O'Neill, PHA Health and Social Wellbeing Improvement Manager and Drugs and Alcohol Lead, said: "The Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety's drinking limits are in place to encourage the public to develop safe and sensible drinking habits. However, these recent figures highlight that not everyone is adhering to these limits. It is crucial that those who do decide to have a drink do so in moderation and stick to the recommended limits to prevent any long or short term damages".The message is clear, if you drink, remember to be smart and enjoy alcohol within safe limits. People should follow the recommended daily alcohol intake. These are:Men: No more than 3 to 4 units of alcohol a day and no more than 21 units over the course of the week.Women: No more than 2 to 3 units of alcohol a day and no more than 14 units over the course of the week.Examples of units:Can of extra strong lager - 4 unitsBottle of lager - 1.5 unitsPint of standard lager - 2.5 unitsPint of premium larger - 3 unitsSmall pub bottle of wine - 2.25 unitsPub measure of spirits - 1.5 unitsPint of cider - 3 unitsPint of stout - 2.5 units. Remember, that for each unit you drink over the daily limit, the risk to your health increases. It's important to spread the units throughout the week - you can't 'save up' your units for the weekend or an upcoming holiday. It is also important to drink plenty of water, ideally matching the amount of alcohol you have consumed.For further information on sensible drinking and alcohol units visit the Public Health Agency's website www.knowyourlimits.infoReference(1) Health Survey Northern Ireland: first results from the 2010/2011 survey (2011) DHSSPS, http://dhsspsni.giv/index/stats_research/stats-public-health.htm

Obesity - an acknowledged public health challenge

As we face a difficult economic climate, in which inequalities may worsen, the PHA faces many challenges in its efforts to improve the health of the population. One such challenge is the issue of obesity. Recently, in the Draft Programme for Government and, again today, in anticipation of the publication of the Consultation on the Review of Health and Social Care Services in Northern Ireland, the specific issue of obesity has been highlighted in the media.The PHA is committed to playing a lead role in tackling this major health issue and has been systematically examining the evidence of best practice and effectiveness to ensure that investment and working in partnership will bring clear benefits. A welcome consequence of any success would be a reduction in the impact of the physical, and emotional costs of obesity related ill-health to individuals - and the financial costs to an overstretched healthcare system.A multi-facetted approach to tackling obesity is required for Northern Ireland. This will mean working across government departments, looking at relevant legislation, taxation, food standards and labelling, as well as supporting a raft of programmes within education, workplace, and at the local community level."The prevalence of overweight and obesity has risen dramatically in recent years in Northern Ireland and is now the norm to be overweight, rather than the exception. The Northern Ireland Health and Social Wellbeing Survey (2010-11) indicated that 36% of adults are overweight and a further 23% are obese; this means that approximately 3 in 5 adults in Northern Ireland carry excess weight. A similar proportion of males and females were obese (23%) however males were more likely to be overweight (44%) than females (30%).Data from the Northern Ireland Health and Wellbeing Survey (2010-11) reported that 27% of children aged 2-15 years are obese or overweight. The findings presented here are based on the guidelines put forward by the International Obesity Task Force. Using this approach, 8% of children were assessed as obese, with similar results for boys (8%) and girls (9%). Obesity has serious implications for health and wellbeing and is associated with an increased risk of heart disease and stroke, type 2 diabetes, some cancers, respiratory problems and joint pain.Evidence indicates that being obese can reduce life expectancy by up to 9 years; and it can impact on emotional and psychological well-being and self-esteem, especially among young people.Obesity also impacts on wider society through economic costs, loss of productivity and increased demands on our health and social care system. It is estimated that obesity in Northern Ireland is resulting in 260,000 working days lost each year with a cost to the local economy of £500 million.The good news is that the intentional loss of significant weight (approx 10kg) in overweight and obese adults has been shown to confer significant health benefits, decreased morbidity and may also reduce obesity-related mortality.Key programmes and interventions are undertaken by the PHA in order to prevent and reduce overweight and obesity. The programmes/interventions are supported by significant ongoing work at local level. Examples include:the promotion of breastfeeding; local programmes to increase awareness of good nutrition and develop cooking skills, for example 'Cook It!'; promotion of more active lifestyles, for example, Walking for Health' and 'Teenage Kicks'; development of community allotment schemes; programmes for primary school children, for example Skip2bfit and Eat, Taste and Grow; and sports and other recreation, for example 'Active Belfast'. The PHA's multi media campaign 'It all adds up!' to encourage children to become more active and understand the importance of keeping fit, in a fun and exciting way, ran until October 2011. It encouraged parents and carers to go to the website www.getalifegetactive.com and download the PHA logbook It all adds up! to plan activities as a family. The logbook helped children and parents plan and keep track of their participation in physical activity at school, home and in the community. PHA is currently developing a public information campaign and other supportive work to increase public awareness of obesity as well as to provide advice and support for those who want to make real changes. The campaign development is well underway and is anticipated for launch in late Spring 2012. Like many common health problems, people living in disadvantaged circumstances suffer most and the PHA is committed to tackling this aspect of health inequality. The good news is that even a modest weight loss, of 1-1 Â_ stones, can help to reduce the risk of many of the health problems resulting from being overweight or obese. Information on losing weight through healthier eating and being more active can be found on the PHA websites - www.enjoyhealthyeating.info and www.getalifegetactive.com . These websites provide help and advice for anyone who wants to improve their eating habits and fitness levels, by making small, sustainable, healthy changes to their lifestyle. The PHA leaflet, Small changes, big benefits is also available to download from the PHA website, 'Publications' section.

A Fitter Future for All - Framework launched

Obesity is a modern lifestyle epidemic that is threatening our health and well-being.This was the key message delivered by Health Minister Edwin Poots at the launch of The Framework for Preventing and Addressing Overweight and Obesity in Northern Ireland 2012-2022: 'A Fitter Future for All'.This ten year strategy will seek to improve the health and wellbeing of people throughout their entire life, from newborns to seniors.Minister Poots said: "We need to face the issue of obesity head on. It's an issue that will require commitment and action from across all sectors, including other government departments and agencies. It is therefore my intention to invest more than £7 million towards tackling the problem of obesity over the next three years."The negative impact on health caused by obesity cannot be over stated. Being obese increases the risk of developing serious illnesses such as heart disease, stroke, some cancers and type 2 diabetes."It is a significant challenge facing modern society and if we don't tackle it now we are storing up a multitude of problems for ourselves in the future."The Minister continued: "More and more of our children and young people are becoming overweight or obese and are putting themselves at risk of developing a range of health problems in their later years."Evidence shows that it is more likely that an obese child will become an obese adult. This in turn will lead to a greater strain on our health and social care services, with more people requiring treatment for obesity related illnesses and specialist care."The proposed framework looks to address a number of key issues, including:-increasing levels of breastfeeding;increasing knowledge and skills about food and its preparationencouraging participation in physical activity;promoting walking and cycling; making sure how we live and where we live encourages and supports healthy eating and physical activity;encouraging and supporting more community involvement with these issues; and;continuation of reformulation of processed foods.The Minister added: "In Northern Ireland 59% of adults are either overweight (36%) or obese (23%). Another worrying statistic is that 8% of children aged 2-15 years were assessed as being obese. These figures demonstrate the scale of the problem and the enormous challenge we are facing."The new framework sets challenging targets. To date we have focussed on simply trying to stop the rise in the levels of obesity, however under A Fitter Future For All we are seeking to actually reduce the level of obesity by 4% and overweight and obesity by 3% among adults. In addition, we are seeking a 3% reduction of obesity and 2% reduction of overweight and obesity among our children and young people." "Meeting these targets will require changes in our lifestyles and behaviours. Most importantly, individuals need to be given the opportunity to make decisions that will benefit their own health and wellbeing".Referring to the 'Give It A Go!' initiative, to increase awareness of the range of nutritional and physical activity initiatives in the southern area, the Minister said: "The Give It A Go! Initiative is a great example of how collaborative work can make such a positive contribution to peoples' lives by providing opportunities for learning, participation in physical activity and for social interaction."Tackling obesity and seeing positive results throughout the life course of the entire population will take time but I strongly believe that the actions set out in this framework will inspire and enable people to improve their diets and be more active."Encouraging people to consider the framework and adopt a healthier lifestyle, the Minister concluded: "Government cannot tackle obesity on its own. We can encourage and promote healthy eating and physical activity but as a society, we must take more individual responsibility for our own health outcomes."Dr Tracy Owen, Consultant in Public Health Medicine with the PHA, said: "The PHA is already working with partner organisations across many of the areas included in the framework 'A Fitter Future for All' and is addressing issues such as developing people's skills and knowledge about healthier eating along with encouraging participation in physical activity. The framework gives us the opportunity to raise awareness of this important area and strengthen action."As the Minister has mentioned, a good example of this coordinated action is the PHA supported initiative Give it a Go! which is providing people in the Southern area with the opportunity to learn about food through supermarket tours and Cook it! classes and to get active through walks, spinning classes and many other activities, all of which are free. These taster sessions are aimed at raising awareness of healthier lifestyles which will ultimately make changes in behaviour more likely."These changes, no matter how small, can help people to lose weight, maintain a healthy weight and bring big benefits to their general health. Importantly, we have developed this joint programme by working closely with our partners, particularly local councils."

Healthy breaks: tasty tips for the under fives

Today the Public Health Agency is launching a new resource pack designed to assist nursery schools and playgroups deliver a healthy breaks scheme.All nursery schools and playgroups in Northern Ireland will receive the pack - 'Healthy breaks for pre-school children' - which includes a poster and information leaflets for parents explaining why a healthy break is so important for pre-school children and some tips and ideas for healthy nutritious breaks.Judith Hanvey, Regional Food in Schools Co-ordinator, appointed jointly by the PHA and the Department of Education, said: "Break-time snacking schemes currently operate in many pre-school settings across Northern Ireland, however they are implemented in different ways. The PHA has developed this new guidance so that any existing or future schemes have the information that they need to deliver a healthy break programme."Judith explained why a healthy break is so important for pre-school pupils."Young children have small stomachs but high requirements for energy (calories) and nutrients. This means that healthy snacks between meals are very important to make sure that they get all the nourishment they need."Childhood is also an important time to establish good eating and drinking habits for later life."Healthy eating schemes give children the knowledge and opportunity to make healthier choices."The Department of Education and Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety recently launched 'Healthy Food for Healthy Outcomes: Food in Schools Policy', which builds on the nutritional standards which were introduced in 2007 by the Department of Education.The policy encourages a 'whole school approach' to all food and drink provided and consumed in schools. This ensures that children have the opportunity to benefit from a healthy balanced diet, which can aid learning, leading to improved educational outcomes. It also requires that every school should have their own whole-school food policy in place by September 2014. Nursery schools that receive funding from the Department of Education must follow this policy.This is also in line with the position taken by the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety's 10 year obesity prevention strategy, A Fitter Future for All, which aims to take a consistent approach to healthy food within early years settings.

The A-B-C of B-B-Q

Whatever the weather, the allure of summer dining alfresco is very appealing. And while eating outdoors can be a real pleasure, far too often the good habits we follow in the kitchen go up in smoke when the barbecue is lit. When planning a barbecue this summer, bear in mind the 6 simple rules outlined in this report, so your friends, family and neighbours go home with memories of a good time - andnot a bug to remember you by!

Healthy lunchboxes

Good food habits set early in childhood can last a lifetime. Lunches provide around one third of our daily nutritional needs, so it’s important to put some thought and planning into them. Here are some tips on how to prepare a healthy lunchbox. Sevensteps to creatinghealthy, varied and interestinglunchboxes Include a wide variety of foods - starchy foods, protein, dairy, and fruit and vegetables Try to offer different foods every day - no one wants to be eating a ham sandwich five days a week! Vary the types of bread e.g. pitta bread, bagels, wholemeal rolls - - keep a stock in the freezer Cook extra rice/pasta in the evening - these can make interesting salads Theme your lunchbox on a different country, e.g. Italian - try a pasta salad, Mexican fill flour tortillas Home-made soup (in a Thermos flask) is great for cold days, while salads are light and refreshing for warmer weather. Both are packed with essential vitamins and minerals Fluids are important for children - up to 6 cups of fluid should be encouraged daily. Milk and water are the best options. Straws and brightly coloured drinks bottles can make rehydrating more interesting!

Picnic perfection

Far too often when we pack the picnic basket we leave behind the good habits that keep us safe from food poisoning at home. Here are a few simple tips to help you avoid potential perils of picnics.

Examining Nutrition Surveillance on the island of Ireland

The food we eat is a key determinant of our health and the monitoring of nutritional status is an essential element of monitoring public health. On the island of Ireland (IOI) there has been a wealth of nutrition data collected contributing to the nutrition surveillance picture, although no formal nutrition surveillance system currently exists in either jurisdiction. This report outlines recent and current activities contributing to nutrition surveillance on IOI and makes recommendations for the future. This is with a view to maximising the use of resources and harnessing and maintaining expertise in this important domain using a joint programming approach.

Your Child's Weight

As a parent, you can teach your children habits and skills to last them a lifetime. This booklet is full of practical advice for parents on how to make small changes to your children’s diet and physical activity habits. Small changes which could make a difference to their future health.

What is a serving size: A guide for pre-schools

This guide offers practical help to all those providing food for pre-school age children. It is a pictorial manual giving real life serving sizes to guide care-givers, parents and guardians on suitable size servings. This booklet also provides sound advice on family-style eating habits, the introduction of new foods and the environment which nurtures healthy eating habits for life. Establishing good lifestyle habits, including positive attitudes and behaviours around food is one of the key cornerstones to shaping future health. This starts during the pre-school years when children grow rapidly and begin to learn about the environment around them. Providing an environment that supports healthy eating both at home and at school is important. It is well recognised that gauging portion sizes for young children can besomewhat difficult; they need to be adequate without being excessive.

Consumer Focused Review of Men's Food Behaviour

Increasing attention has been paid to the burden of ill-health experienced by men in many Western countries. In Europe and internationally, the Republic of Ireland has been leading the way by developing a national policy for men’s health. In most countries around the world, women now have a longer life expectancy than men. Similarly, on the island of Ireland, in spite of recent increases in men’s life expectancy, men continue to have higher death rates at all ages and from all leading causes of death. In Northern Ireland, in 2010, men’s life expectancy at birth was 77.08 years (81.53 years for women), while in the Republic of Ireland, figures published in 2009 revealed that men’s life expectancy at birth was 76.8 years (compared to 81.6 years for women). Key health issues for men include circulatory diseases, cancers and respiratory diseases. In relation to food and health, obesity has been highlighted as a major concern in relation to men’s health. While physiological difference between men and women explain some of the variation in the rate and/or onset of disease (e.g., protective effects of oestrogen in relation to the onset of cardiovascular diseases), other factors, such as socio-cultural influences, which are the main focus of this report, also play an important role. It is acknowledged that men and women experience different influences and motivations with respect to their knowledge and attitudes of and behaviours towards food and health. The purpose of this report is therefore not to compare men with women or to encourage men to model themselves on women in relation to their food and health behaviour. Rather, the goal is to provide recommendations to improve communications, resources, interventions, education and services targeted at boys and men in relation to food.

Weight Reduction Service

The aim of this intervention is to offer support to overweight and obese patients, particularly those with co-morbidities to make changes to lifestyle in food habits and physical activity.

Sugar Reduction: Responding to the Challenge

In ‘Sugar Reduction: Responding to the Challenge’, PHE is calling on charities, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), academics, businesses, retailers and consumers to work together to reduce the amount of sugar we eat as a nation. By analysing dietary data and discussing food habits with stakeholders, we have identified a range of areas that need exploring further. PHE already runs successful marketing campaigns designed to promote healthy living. To build on this, we also want to look at the way foods are being advertised to children, financial measures that relate to sugar sweetened drinks, food procurement across the public sector and education and training. Today, PHE received a draft report from the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN): ‘Carbohydrates and Health’. PHE is particularly interested in SACN’s research because it is clear that the nation is consuming more sugar than the UK’s current recommendations. Diets high in sugar can contribute to excess calorie intake, which can lead to weight gain and obesity.

Limerick Seed to Plate

The aim of the project is to address an identified need in the community, promoting healthy eating and organic home-gardening practices. Building on the success of a pilot intergenerational project entitled "Through the Years", it became apparent that gardening related activities could be implemented and promoted on a larger scale, reaching the wider community, groups and classes. The project serves as a setting for community education and will be inclusive in helping reduce isolation by providing meeting places for all members of their local communities. Key people being targeted are older people, local families and residents, Limerick Youth Service, After School Clubs, the Garda Youth Diversion Project and the Family Resource Centre. The Limerick Seed to Plate works with gardeners whose primary focus is to develop the gardening projects further. There is a strong educational emphasis to the project and the learning is transferred to participants own homes and lifestyles. Southill has a community café and, where possible, food grown in their garden is showcased and cooked in the centre and café. The Community Food Initiative strengthens the existing healthy eating habits in the community and aims to result in increased long-term health benefits arising from a healthier lifestyle. Communities will benefit from the project which will create employment, build bridges between communities, promote social inclusion and provide a focus for the local areas. Part of theDemonstration Programme 2010-2012 Location Limerick Target Groups At risk youth Children ( 4-12 years) Children (0-4 years) Children (13-18 years) Families Lone parents Low income families Men Migrant, minority ethnic groups Older people Travellers Unemployed Women

KASI Community Garden

KASI acquired a site from Killarney Parish for a community garden project. The community garden provides a form of activity through volunteerism for asylum seekers in direct provisions who are not allowed to work. The participants will focus on growing crops and developing the garden which will facilitate interaction between the target groups and local communities in a very holistic and organic manner of working together, sharing and exchanging ideas, skills, crops, food and culture. KASI is developing a community garden on the outskirts of Killarney town. The sedentary lifestyle in direct provisions can cause isolation, depression and other mental health issues for asylum seekers. The community garden project provides a space for migrant workers and their families (most of whom live in flats and apartments and do not have access to a garden space) to grow their own crops. The community garden project will provide training on organic gardening, nutrition, healthy eating habits,cooking on a budget, cookery demonstrations and an opportunity for participants to exchange skills, knowledge, recipes and food. In addition, the project will enable locals to get information on nutritional values of herbs and authentic, healthy ethnic recipes. This initiative could also facilitate KASI influencing the diets and menu in direct provision centres. KASI will open a social space for training and cookery demonstrations for target groups and locals. Part of theDemonstration Programme 2010-2012 Initiative Type Community Food Growing Projects Location Kerry Target Groups Migrant, minority ethnic groups