MARK DRAKEFORD THE MINISTER FOR HEALTH & SOCIAL SERVICES, DR DEV DATTA, FIONA JENKINS AND THE MULTIDISCIPLINARY TEAM
A new service was launched this week by Minister for Health and Social Services, Mark Drakeford, at University Hospital Llandough, providing people who are obese with a multi-disciplinary approach to losing weight and changing their eating habits for life.
The Specialist Weight Management Service is an intensive programme, providing support from a nurse, consultant and dietitian as well as an occupational therapist, physiotherapist and psychologist, if needed. The service is designed to improve long-term health and is for people with a body mass index (BMI) of 40 or above (35 and over for people with additional health problems).
Mark Drakeford said: “We know obesity is a complex issue. The team at University Hospital Llandough is taking an holistic approach to help people lose weight, develop healthy eating habits for life and to become more active. I’m pleased to help launch this service and I hope that as it develops the team will share their experiences with others across Wales.”
Recent figures show a fifth of adults in Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan are obese, only slightly below the Welsh average.
Helen Nicholls is the Community Dietetic Clinical Lead for Cardiff and Vale Health Board. She said, “We are really pleased be involved in the new service. It has been designed in consultation with patients to ensure it meets their needs.”
The service had a soft launch in September and people are already experiencing the benefits.
David Smith, 59, from Grangetown, has tried to lose weight in the past, with little success. He is not eligible for bariatric surgery due to ill health. He said, “I found it impossible to do on my own. I need that support from the team. They’re a good team. They point you in directions that you don’t see yourself.”
David would love to lose weight so he can improve his mobility. This would enable him to walk around the local shops, take the dog for a walk and, ultimately, be fit and mobile enough to play with his grandchildren.
He added, “I don’t go out any more and I’d love that to change. I’d like to be eating better, forever.”
