Cwm Taf Morgannwg health board has drafted a new weight management plan due to be discussed at a committee meeting later today (pdf).
27% of adults in the Cwm Taf Morgannwg health board are obese – the second-highest proportion of Wales’ seven health board areas.
Within Bridgend county, the highest rates of obesity (30%+) are in Maesteg, Caerau, the Garw Valley and Morfa (which includes Wildmill).
The draft proposals (pdf) focus on a few different priorities.
Obesity in pregnancy
34% of pregnant women in the Cwm Taf Morgannwg health board are said to be obese.
A package of support called “foodwise in pregnancy” is offered to pregnant women with a Body Mass Index (BMI) of between 35-39.9, while a public health midwife visits pregnant women with a BMI of 40+ (commonly called “morbidly obese”) at several key stages of the pregnancy.
Children’s physical activity
Several projects which were paused due to the pandemic have restarted, including street play pilots, using school grounds for out-of-hours play/sport and a social media campaign.
Family Intervention
This is being led through a project called HENRY (Healthy Exercise and Nutrition for the Really Young), which is aimed at the parents of pre-school children at risk of becoming overweight or obese. The programme takes place over eight weekly sessions and offers advice on healthy eating, play and behaviour management.
The health board has been given a grant to develop a similar programme for 3-7-year-olds in Merthyr Tydfil.
Adult weight management
At the moment, weight management programmes are placed into four levels ranging from Level 1 (education) to Level 4 (weight loss surgery).
Any patient with a BMI of 30+ is expected to be pointed towards Level 1 at the very least, with more complex cases started on the path to higher levels.
Cwm Taf Morgannwg is developing a new service at Levels 2 and 3 (specialist weight management services).
A single integrated weight management service at Levels 2 and 3 will be branded the “Live Well Service”.
Level 2 is community-based (i.e. delivered in clinics/primary care by dietitians one-to-one and in groups).
At Level 3, specialist dietitians, physiotherapists and psychologists get involved as a step towards weight loss (bariatric) surgery (Level 4) – performed in Swansea – for the morbidly obese. Level 3 also supports post-surgery patients for 2 years. This Level 3 service is set to be based at Ysbyty Dewi Sant in Pontypridd.
Funding for the new service has been confirmed by the Welsh Government. It’s expected to cost just over £850,000 a year, with around £480,000 of that coming directly from the health board.
