Is the government losing its appetite for its healthy living agenda? Certainly there was concern among health lobbyists that, at the state opening of parliament last month, the Queen’s Speech made no reference to two of the government’s previously high-profile proposals: minimum pricing for alcohol, and the requirement for cigarettes to be sold in plain packets. But are there genuine grounds for concern, and does it affect the fitness industry anyway?
It’s certainly true that the fitness sector is just one part of a broader, inter-connected wellness industry that encompasses everything from diet to smoking cessation and alcohol awareness. It’s easy to become insular, focusing predominantly on our expertise in exercise and nutrition, but the sector must learn to view itself in a broader context if it wants to reach its full potential.
That doesn’t only mean creating a holistic wellness offering in our facilities; it means collaborating with other related sectors to drive forward the wellness agenda.
Some of those sectors are already well established. The ban on smoking in public indoor spaces, the increasingly alarming warnings on cigarette packs, the success of drink-driving campaigns over the years, and the calls in alcohol ads to ‘drink sensibly’ are all proof of the influence of the anti-smoking and responsible drinking movements, which have successfully aligned the opinions of lobby groups, government, the health sector and the public over recent years.
QOF – the Quality and Outcomes Framework that financially incentivises GPs to make certain referrals or recommendations to their patients – has also included smoking cessation and alcohol awareness schemes for some time now.
And on a nutritional front, the ‘Five a Day’ campaign – which urges people to consume five pieces of fruit and veg a day – has achieved high levels of public awareness.
All of this indicates a clear momentum behind lifestyle change at a national level, and physical activity – which until now has lagged behind – is beginning to make its own inroads among the various stakeholder groups: initiatives such as Change4Life are encouraging the public to get active, while physical activity was finally introduced to the QOF in April 2013 – albeit only for hypertensive patients at this stage.
But just as we’re making headway, questions have arisen over government’s commitment to its lifestyle change agenda. It’s a little too soon for concern, however, as a week after the Queen’s Speech it was announced that NICE will, for the first time, develop quality standards to hold the NHS to account for its public health activity. The first will look at tobacco, harmful use of alcohol – and obesity.
Government is, it seems, finally placing us in the same space as other established wellness industries, but we cannot be complacent; even those sectors are still battling to get their initiatives through. We must invest in far deeper co-operation with our wellness allies, appreciating that we’re stronger together, and present a united front to ensure that integrated wellness remains a key focus at a national level.
