A report on obesity in Rotherham, how it compares to other areas in England, and how the Covid-19 pandemic has affected weight loss related services

Healthwatch Rotherham undertook research on obesity, and how services to tackle this problem have been affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, as obesity levels in Rotherham are higher than the national average.

The report consists of a case study of a local service, Rotherham United Community Sports Trust and how their services had to adapt due to the pandemic.  Before lockdown, weight loss services were in person and very interactive.  After 23 March 2020, all services had to go online, and when restrictions eased, limited face to face sessions resumed.

They found that some people who had been furloughed had more time to engage with the service during lockdown and lost more weight.  In contrast key workers were working longer in a stressful environment and therefore had less time and energy to focus on weight loss.

Some didn’t like engaging with the service online so stopped until services could resume in person.  Others wanted to join the service after gaining weight during lockdown or because they heard that being overweight was a risk factor for Covid-19.

The report ends with a list of recommendations on how to lose weight aimed at the public.