Bury backs One You healthier lifestyles campaign

Bury Council is backing the new and ground-breaking campaign One You, recently launched by Public Health England.

The campaign aims to encourage adults, particularly in mid-life, to take up healthier lifestyles and see the rewards both now and in later life.

Poor lifestyles - smoking, drinking too much, physical inactivity and poor diet - account for around 40 per cent of all deaths in England, and cost the NHS more than £11 billion a year, according to PHE.

In Bury around 20.5% adults still smoke, two-thirds of adults are overweight or obese, only half eat their '5 a day' and take part in physical activity for the recommended 150 minutes a week. Figures also show that there were 1,141 alcohol-related hospital admissions in Bury in 2013/14.

Councillor Andrea Simpson, Bury Council's cabinet member for health and wellbeing, said: “Although we are generally living longer, we may live our later years in ill-health. Around 15 million Britons are currently living with a long-term health condition, around 45,000 of them in Bury.

“However, living healthy in middle age can double your chances of being healthy when you are 70. The One You campaign is a good reminder that is never too late to adopt healthier lifestyles.”

The campaign offers a new online quiz 'How Are You' to help people assess their current lifestyle behaviours. Based on the results, it then provides personal recommendations and advice on how to take action.

More than half (56%) of 40-60 year olds taking the ‘How Are You’ quiz said they were likely to improve their lifestyles because of the feedback it gave.

Dr Kiran Patel, chair and clinical lead for NHS Bury Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), added: “One You is all about making small changes that could have a positive impact on your health and reduce your chances of becoming poorly later in life. If you are finding it difficult to be more healthy due to a busy schedule and don’t know where to start, what’s really key to success is making small manageable changes that you can weave into your everyday life; added up they can have a big impact. One You focuses on what’s important to you as an individual and offers the tools, support and encouragement to help you reach your goals.”

For more information and to take the ‘How Are You’ online quiz, search ‘One You’ online now or go to www.nhs.uk/oneyou.

For support on making lifestyle changes, contact Bury Lifestyle Service on 0161 253 7554 or email LifestyleService@bury.gov.uk

• Find us on Facebook athttps://www.facebook.com/burylifestyleservice
• Follow us on Twitter at https://twitter.com/LifestyleBury
• Visit www.theburydirectory.co.uk for your one-stop information point for advice, support, activities, services and more.

ENDS

Press release issued: 23 March 2016.