Walsall Council is highlighting the importance of healthy eating and hydration during Nutrition and Hydration Week (17-23 March) and encouraging residents to take advantage of the support offered by Be Well Walsall.
The annual campaign which has been running since March 2012 focuses on the simple steps everyone can take to improve their overall health and wellbeing through better nutrition and hydration.
Maintaining a balanced diet and staying hydrated is crucial for physical and mental health. It is also one of the council’s Eight Steps to Wellbeing to help residents learn what is important to keep them healthy, independent and well.
To help residents eat well and achieve a healthy weight, Walsall Council’s Public Health team fund a free wellbeing service called Be Well Walsall. They run a range of free healthy eating and weight management programmes to support residents to manage their weight in a healthy way, which includes a tried and tested approach to help residents develop healthy eating habits.
Residents who sign up to the 12-week programme will get a welcome pack, weekly advice, community support through a private WhatsApp group and support from trained staff throughout to check on progress and ask questions.
In the first year of launching Be Well Walsall in November 2023, their healthy eating and weight management programme has seen over 1,100 new participants access support. Latest data shows that out of those who complete the 12-week programme, nearly 70% of participants lose weight and 35% lose over 5% of their body weight.
“ We want to empower our residents to make positive changes to their health and wellbeing and Nutrition and Hydration Week is the perfect opportunity to raise awareness about the benefits of a healthy diet and proper hydration. Be Well Walsall’s weight management service will help you to achieve your goals through tailored support.
I would encourage residents to improve their water intake, eat good fresh food intake, and to get in touch with Be Well Walsall if they need further support. “
Councillor Gary Flint, Portfolio Holder for Health and Wellbeing
Walsall Council
A Be Well Walsall participant described their journey of successfully losing 8.2kg over the 12-week healthy eating and weight management programme.
“The programme gave a support system, confidence and a structured way of how to lose weight and exercise. [Staff member] was a great person to work with who has given me help and information that has led me to a healthy weight loss.”