Diet and Nutrition
Good nutrition and a healthy diet reduces your risk of getting a large number of diseases, including diabetes, heart disease and cancer. Being over or under weight can have serious knock on effects on your body, and cause many ailments to develop.
Research suggests Northern Ireland has an extremely bad attitude towards diet and nutrition, with many residents not taking notice of basic advice, from health officials.
The Northern Ireland Health and Social Wellbeing Survey 2005/06 found that
- Just over a quarter (27%) of adults said they eat, on average, five portions of fruit or vegetables per day
- Overall, 59% of adults measured were either overweight (35%) or obese (24%).
- A similar proportion of men (25%) and women (23%) were obese. Men were more likely (64%) than women (54%) to be either overweight or obese.
- Almost a third (29%) of 45-54 year olds were obese, compared with 13% of those aged 16-24.
- There is some debate over the most appropriate way to measure childhood obesity rates in the UK. One approach uses the United Kingdom National BMI percentiles. Using this approach, 18% of children aged 2-15 were obese, 20% of boys and 15% of girls.
- An alternative approach to measuring childhood obesity which is gaining acceptance was put forward by the International Obesity Task Force. Using this approach, nearly one in ten (8%) children were obese, 8% of boys and 7% of girls.
- Overall, 23% of people said that they were not regularly active in the previous six months and did not intend to be so in the next six months.
Findings like these are only exacerbated within areas of severe social deprivation, such as the South Belfast Highway to Health target areas. There is not enough research to fully understand to how much greater the proplem of poor diet and nutrition is within the target areas, but it can be assumed with confidence it is a significant one.
Below are links to census information on each of South Belfast Highway to Health’s target areas
- Lower Ormeau (Botanic Ward SOA 5) click here
- Sandy Row (Shaftsbury Ward SOA 2) click here
- Donegall Pass (Shaftsbury Ward SOA 2) click here
- The Markets (Shaftsbury Ward SOA 1) click here
- The Village (Blackstaff Ward) click here
Useful Websites
www.nutrition.org.uk
www.bupa.co.uk
www.enjoyhealthyeating.info
www.nichsa.com
www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk
