Active Prospects have been working with people with lived experience and system leaders to develop a Whole System Approach to Obesity for people with learning disabilities. We are today issuing a report with our key findings and recommendations aimed at making significant improvements in supporting people’s health outcomes.
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People with learning disabilities, especially women, are at much higher risk of obesity and health inequalities then the general population. They have a life expectancy 20 years lower than the general women’s population. This is simply shocking.
People with learning disabilities are experiencing real health inequalities seriously impacting on their weight and associated long-term health conditions. We wish to support changes from all parts of the systems to transform approaches in this area.
One key factor is that support staff alongside people they support, are simply given insufficient training and accessible tools in health and nutrition due to serious underfunding of social care.
Emma Levallee, expert by experience, said:
“When I went for my annual health check, I was told I was overweight, but I wasn’t told what I actually weighed or what I should do next.”
Leanne Yeo, expert by experience, said:
“I wanted to see my GP face to face for my annual health check but had to do this by video which made it much harder to explore all the areas I was worried about. I was concerned about my weight so my support staff helped me join Slimming World. Due to my low support hours I had to go on my own to this group and it can be difficult to explain my food plan to my support workers.”
