New Year, New Healthier You - free health and wellbeing support

It’s never been more important to focus on health and wellbeing and City of York Council’s Health Trainers are offering residents a chance to be a ‘healthier you’ in the New Year.

Over 700 residents have so far benefitted from the free service, which is available for all York residents aged 16 years and over.

This year’s campaign focusses on four ways to start a healthy lifestyle in 2023:

• Stop smoking
• Lower your drinking
• Being a healthy weight
• Being physically active

Skilled health trainers can help support residents with free confidential health and wellbeing one-to-one support and guidance every step of the way.

The service offers personalised, individual support and advice, and signing up is really simple.

Just visit: www.york.gov.uk/CYCHealthTrainers and complete the online referral form, message us at 07789 946 384, call 01904 553377 or email cychealthtrainers@york.gov.uk

A qualified and skilled health trainer will then develop personal health plans either virtually, over the phone or face-to-face.

To help support this, the council has joined up with Slimming World to offer a free 12-week weight management programme.

The offer is open to York residents, aged 18 years and over, with a body mass index (BMI) of 30-plus, or 25-plus for those from ethnic minority groups.

To start a free 12-week weight management programme call Slimming World on telephone: 01773 546144. All residents need to do is explain that they’re applying for the free offer through the CYC Health Trainer service. They'll then be given the details of their local group and how to attend.

Cllr Carol Runciman, Executive Member for Health and Adult Social Care, at City of York Council, said: “It’s been a really tough for many people, and right now you might want to feel both better physically and emotionally, but find it hard to put in place those healthy habits that will make the biggest difference.

“Our free health training service has helped hundreds of residents to consider making choices that will improve their health and wellbeing, and they can help you too!

“Whether that be stopping smoking, reducing alcohol intake or generally helping people to get physically more active, our Health Trainers have ideas for everyone.

“We want to help you make positive lifestyle changes, and there is no better time to take the first steps than in the New Year.”

According to the UK Government’s tackling obesity strategy, nearly two-thirds of adults (63 per cent) in England are classed as being overweight (a body mass index of over 25) or obese (a BMI of over 30).

It is estimated that obesity is responsible for more than 30,000 preventable deaths each year. Obesity increases the risk of developing a whole host of diseases. Obese people are:

• at increased risk of certain cancers, including being three times more likely to develop colon cancer
• more than 2.5 times more likely to develop high blood pressure - a risk factor for heart disease
• five times more likely to develop type 2 diabetes

For more information get in touch today via: www.york.gov.uk/cychealthtrainers