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Change4Life – eat well, move more, live longer

Change4Life campaign poster

Change4Life is a new movement, supported by the Department of Health, which aims to improve children’s diets and levels of activity so reducing the threat to their future health and happiness. Our goal is to help every family in England eat well, move more and live longer.

The challenge

Obesity is growing at an alarming rate and making a significant impact on individuals, our National Health Service and society as a whole. The Government Office for Science's Foresight Report forecasts that by 2050, 60% of men and 50% of women could be obese. There is a clear link between having too much fat in your body and preventable illnesses like diabetes, coronary heart disease, cancer and depression.

Our ambition is to be the first major nation to reverse the rising tide of obesity and overweight in the population. Our focus at the start will be on children. .

Research

Key findings from our research has shown us that:

  • While parents acknowledge childhood obesity is a problem they do not think it is their problem.
  • Parents underestimate the amount they and their children eat and overestimate the amount of activity the family does.
  • Parents do not make the connection between unhealthy weight status and long-term health problems.

NHS workforce role

Change4Life is calling on a host of national, regional and local partners – from within government, health care, the media and the commercial and voluntary sectors - to help. The movement is just beginning and your energy, knowledge and involvement will be needed to help make it work.

We’re already communicating with people who work directly with at-risk young families in healthcare and community settings. A diverse coalition of people has already pledged to be part of the movement and new people join us every day. Change4Life will draw on all the good work already happening locally on tackling obesity and it will work with partners to develop and support new initiatives.

What we are rolling out is just the start of what will be a big, integrated communications plan, including a national advertising campaign (coming soon).

Latest

The Change4Life Principles and Guidelines for Government and NHS and the Change4Life Brand Assets are now available for use by Government and NHS colleagues.  Please follow the link below.

For more information please see our Frequently Asked Questions about the Change4Life movement or call 0300 123 1004 between 9am – 6.30pm Monday-Friday.
(Calls to 03 numbers should cost no more than geographic 01 or 02 UK wide calls, and may be part of inclusive minutes subject to your provider and your call package).

Keep watching these pages for the release of other useful resources.

Additional links

Related links

Change4Life videos

Find out more about Change4Life by watching three short films.

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