On July 1st the UK government launched new services to help people achieve a healthy weight and improve their overall wellbeing. The newly launched NHS Digital Weight Management Programme has been set up in a bid to tackle rising obesity within the UK. Having been backed by £12million of governmental money, the programme will offer free online support via your GP and other primary care teams. This is especially for adults living with obesity who have a diagnosis of either diabetes or high blood pressure in order to help them regulate their weight in a bid to improve their overall health.
Perhaps most shockingly, 1 in 3 children leave primary school with excess weight or living with obesity. In a bid to help tackle this, Kingston upon Hull is one of 11 local authorities chosen to receive additional funding to support the expansion of children’s weight management services in 2021 and 2022. The aim of this is to provide support to families, with a goal of halving the number of children living with obesity by 2030.
The link between oral health and overall health is one which is now beginning to be fully realised. A diet which is high in processed food, sugars and saturated fats is also one which will leave your teeth at the risk of disease. Issues like periodontitis, gum disease, tooth loss and bad breath can all be linked to an unbalanced diet and evidence is now pointing towards a link between poor oral health and diabetes, heart disease, stroke and dementia.
The best way to control your weight and improve your oral health is to focus on eating a well-balanced diet.
Understandably, this can at times seem like an impossible task, especially if you are raising young children. However, simple substitutes can do the job for you. Here’s a few of our suggestions for simple swaps that are easy to make:
- Swap Nutella spread for peanut butter.
- Swap white bread for wholewheat or 50/50 bread.
- Similarly, swap white pasta for wholewheat pasta.
- Make sure you limit fruit juice intake to around 150ml per day and remember that water is always the best option if you’re thirsty.
For a better outline on what to include to create a healthy and well-balanced diet the NHS Eat Well guide outlines everything needed for a well-balanced diet and includes links to recipes, more healthy swaps and advice on how to maintain good digestive health.
Obviously, it’s important to keep everything in moderation. Make sure that treats are added to your diet once or twice a week to keep those cravings at bay but make treats part of a meal to minimise the number of daily sugar attacks on your teeth.
Mental and physical and oral health are all part of your overall wellbeing and it’s important that if you, or any member of your family is struggling with eating disorders that you approach such schemes with care. If you are worried or concerned, make sure you reach out to your GP so they can offer support.
Take a look at our website, which includes videos about healthy eating for adults and kids.
