Fat benefits claimants told to go to the gym
Author: Matt Chorley, Daily Mail |
Localis Chief Executive Alex Thomson was quoted in response to potential approaches to public health once responsibility for it transfers to local government.
Obese benefits claimants have been warned they could lose handouts if they refuse to get fit.
GPs would prescribe exercise sessions to overweight patients who face punishment if they refuse to turn.
The idea has been drawn up by the Local Government Information Unit which says smart card technology could be used to track who is using council leisure facilities, and benefits could be docked for those who refuse to shape up.
The idea is being studied by councils Westminster City Council which says the ‘potential improvements to the nation’s health and to the public purse could be significant.’
Where an exercise package is prescribed to a resident, housing and council tax benefit payments could be varied to reward or incentivise residents,’ the report said.
The Tory-run council said a combination of ‘carrot and stick’ techniques would be needed to encourage people to exercise.
A spokesman said: ‘We have the ability to vary benefits depending on behaviour so it is an option.’
Patients’ attendance at exercise sessions would be monitored using smart cards, said the report, A Dose of Localism: The Role of Councils in Public Health.
The move is being considered as local authorities prepare to take over responsibility for ‘community wellbeing and public health’ from primary care trusts as part of the NHS shake-up – and could pave the way for similar schemes across the country.
At the same time, councils could be given greater control over some benefits.
Other suggestions considered in the report include reducing red tape for non-alcohol based social venues, to create a 24-hour ‘café culture’.
‘Local government needs to seriously start considering how it is going to manage public health before April arrives, it is only four months away.’
But critics said the scheme would not be easy to implement.
Professor John Wass, of the Royal College of Physicians, said: ‘For people to lose weight, they must want to lose weight, and I have concerns about forcing the public to exercise. If we want to solve a problem this big, we need to look at the bigger picture.’
Alex Thomson, chief executive of the think-tank Localis, praised the idea as ‘localism in practice’, but said it discriminated against those who exercised outside council facilities.
‘And even if you check in to the pool how will they know if you just sit and have a latte in the café instead?’ he added.
Around half of British adults are overweight, and 17 per cent of men and 21 per cent of women are obese.
Obesity is one of the biggest strains on the health budget and costs £5.1billion a year, according to Department of Health estimates.
Dr Jonathan Carr-West, of the Local Government Information Unit, which co-wrote the report, said: ‘Helping people and communities stay healthy is a double win for local government. We can save money while helping citizens have better lives.
‘The ideas in this paper are intended to stimulate and provoke. They won’t all be right for everyone but we hope they can lead a debate.’