Kickstart your health with Public Health England’s Better Health campaign

8 February 2021

 

Public Health England (PHE) have launched a range of new resources to help you improve your health and wellbeing. With the theme of ‘Kickstart your health’, their Better Health campaign includes free tools, information and support to help you lose weight, get active or quit smoking. You can also find ways to lift your mood with Every Mind Matters.

Healthy changes start with little changes, and PHE have compiled free apps and tools to make those little changes easier. For example:

• check in with your health with the ‘how are you quiz?
• use the updated NHS 12 Week Weight Loss app
• track your daily walks
• get recipe ideas
• build up to running 5K
• home workout videos
• get a personalised quit smoking plan.

 

New survey reveals motivation to get healthier

Public Health England surveyed over 5,000 over 18s in England  and showed that eight out of ten adults have decided to change their lifestyle in 2021. Seven in ten said that they are motivated to make healthier lifestyle changes due to COVID-19. Compared to last year, almost half of the population (43%) felt more motivated to make changes to their lifestyle this January.

Research has shown that living with obesity raises the risks associated with COVID-19 compared to those with a healthy body mass index (BMI).

Lockdown has taken its toll on people’s lifestyle:

• A third (35%) of those surveyed reported snacking on unhealthy food and drinks at least once a day, a quarter more than last year.
• A third (30%) said they were exercising less in the second half of the year
• 29% of smokers said they smoked more from the start of the second national lockdown.
• Around a quarter of people who drink alcohol also said their alcohol intake has gone up.

For the following healthy changes in lifestyle, around four in ten people are motivated to make changes this year: 

• eat more healthily (40%)
• lose weight (39%)
• exercise more (41%)
• quit smoking (43% of regular smokers)
• cut down on alcohol (45% of those who drank more alcohol during the second lockdown)

Katharine Jenner, CEO of Blood Pressure UK says: “The pandemic has affected us all in different ways, and it’s not surprising that our health habits have been affected. It’s encouraging that people are aware of their health and motivated to make changes, but knowing you need to be healthier, isn’t as easy as actually doing something about it! The good news is that even small changes can make a difference.  

“The Kickstart your health resources have a sensible, incremental approach to lifestyle changes, which is the most effective way when it comes to developing lasting heathy habits. Your weight, diet and lifestyle all affect your blood pressure, so these resources will help keep your blood pressure in check too.”