Rural areas are facing a surge in numbers of obese and overweight people but are hamstrung in their efforts to deal with it, according to council leaders.
New analysis from the County Councils Network (CCN) shows the number of adults who are overweight or obese has increased by 1.1 million in county and rural areas since 2015.
These areas account for 58% of the increase in England as a whole, yet they receive only about half of what councils in London receive in public health grant and much less than the national average.
The CCN says that as providers of public health services, as well as being responsible for leisure centres and active travel infrastructure such as cycle lanes, they are best placed to help people live healthier lives.
It is calling on the Government to deliver a fairer share of public health funding for county areas in a new formula.
CCN health and social care spokesperson Martin Tett said there were some innovative examples of how rural councils are helping residents to live healthy and active lives.
‘But despite this great work, the fact remains that county areas are hamstrung by how much funding for public health we receive.
‘We are at a significant disadvantage compared to urban areas, receiving up to 44% less on average than councils in London – and this could explain why our obesity and overweight rates have increased the most over the last seven years.’
