The district council is hoping to tackle an obesity problem as it was revealed that nearly one in two adults are overweight.

St Albans District Council has updated its health and wellbeing strategy, which hopes to encourage a healthy lifestyle and reduce health inequalities in the area.

The updated scheme, which was discussed in a meeting last month, suggests 48.9 per cent of people living in the district are overweight.

It also suggests 11.1 per cent of children in Year 6 are classed as obese.

The strategy was launched two years ago by the council, Herts Valleys Clinical Commissioning Group, West Hertfordshire Hospitals NHS Trust and St Albans and Harpenden Patient Group.

The chair of the partnership and public health working group Cllr Robert Donald said: "A tremendous amount of hard work has gone into revising this comprehensive strategy for improving the district's physical and mental health.

"We have updated the document to reflect the actions we have already undertake to achieve our goal as well as many new initiatives that are planned.

"While we live in a relatively healthy district with activity levels and rates of early death from cancer and heart disease better than national averages we are not complacent and know improvements can be made.

"The number of adults overweight and obese has only fallen by less than one per cent year on year in the latest annual figures available to 48.9 per cent and in year six children it has increased by 0.2 per cent to 21.4 per cent."

As part of its scheme, the council opened the Healthy Hub last year, funded by Hertfordshire County Council.

It offers help and information about physical and mental health.

The council is now looking to reduce social isolation and loneliness by using services at the hub to raise awareness.

The partnership is also working towards making the district dementia-friendly by providing training sessions.

Cllr Donald added: "I would urge anyone interested in how we are shaping up to meet these health and wellbeing challenges to look at our revised strategy."

To find out more about the strategy go to http://bit.ly/38L0xxw