With more than two thirds of adults in the city either obese or overweight - and an increasing number of young people following suit - Wolverhampton City Council is hosting an unprecedented Obesity Summit to try to tackle the problem.
Nearly 300 representatives from local businesses, public and private sector organisations, health and social care, voluntary and community organisations and faith groups will take part in the forum at Wolverhampton Racecourse.
There, they will hear from expert speakers who will analyse the problem and then work together to develop pledges to address the issue which can be implemented on a local or city wide basis.
National surveys estimate that some 69.8% of adults in Wolverhampton are overweight or obese, compared to a national average of 64%, while nearly a quarter of Year 6 pupils in Wolverhampton are obese, compared to just under a fifth of Year 6 pupils nationally.
Obesity is associated with a number of serious medical complications - from diabetes, high blood pressure, stroke, cancer, respiratory problems and liver disease to stress, anxiety, depression and infertility.
Councillor Sandra Samuels, Wolverhampton City Council's Cabinet Member for Health and Wellbeing, said: "Being overweight or obese has a fundamental impact on people's lives, not only in terms of their health but also their quality of life.
"As well as having a very high proportion of overweight adults in the city, it's particularly worrying that so many of our young people are now becoming obese - meaning they are putting their health and wellbeing at risk at a very young age.
"We are determined to do all we can to reduce the problem here in Wolverhampton, and Monday's Obesity Summit is a hugely important - and unprecedented - first step in our efforts."
Among those speaking at Monday's event will be Wolverhampton's Director of Public Health Ros Jervis, the Chair of the British Obesity Society Jane DeVille-Almond, Pete Shorrick from Diabetes UK, Sue Roberts from Southco Manufacturing Ltd who will be talking about healthy workplaces, and Dr Rachel Pryke, Clinical Lead for Nutrition with the Royal College of General Practitioners.
Wolverhampton's "weight loss champions", Councillors Paul Sweet, Stephen Simkins and Daniel Warren - who have undertaken to shed the pounds as part of the city's fight against obesity - will talk about their weight loss journey.
Delegates will also be encouraged to take part in healthy activities throughout the day, as well as making all important pledges, both on behalf of themselves and the organisations they represent. These pledges will also help to develop an action plan for the city.
Mrs Jervis, who used her 2014 Public Health Annual Report entitled Weight? We Can't Wait! as a "call to action" for organisations, businesses and individuals to team up and help tackle the problem, said: "We are facing a perfect storm which is helping obesity become the norm for many people.
"Modern life has created a sedentary environment where high calorie food is always around, so it's no surprise that rates of obesity have more than doubled in the last 25 years.
"Unfortunately, while eating less and doing more exercise will help some people towards a healthy weight, it's not the complete solution. Instead, we need to change this obesogenic environment in which we live.
"That means reducing people's consumption of high calorie foods, increasing opportunities to exercise and working with fast food outlets to increase the range of healthy options available.
"It also means encouraging parenting skills and breastfeeding, and generally making eating well the norm, rather than the exception, by educating people about portion size and what's in their food and what it is doing to their bodies.
"We cannot do this on our own, and that's why we are bringing together representatives from organisations across the city like the NHS, the city council, schools, businesses and the voluntary sector to discuss the problem and come up with workable solutions."
People can keep up to date with everything that happens at Monday's Obesity Summit on Type=links;Linkid=4799;Title=Twitter;Target=_blank; and comment using the hashtag #wecantw8.
To read the Director of Public Health's Annual Report, please visit Type=articles;Articleid=4934;Title=Weight? We can't wait;. For healthy living advice and tips, please visit the NHS's Change4Life website at Type=links;Linkid=3170;Title=NHS Change4Life;Target=_blank;.
- released: Friday 7 November, 2014