Young People's Views on Healthy Eating, Weight and Body Image.

Previously, a Tier 2 Healthy Lifestyles Teens Programme, consisting of six one-to-one sessions over twelve weeks, was delivered by Healthy Cornwall.

However, the programme suffered from poor engagement, a challenge commonly reported in adolescent weight management programmes.

In addition, there has been no formal Tier 2 offer for young people with learning disabilities and autism in Cornwall.

Rising numbers of young people living with excess weight and obesity and increasing recognition of the consequences of poor body satisfaction on health highlight the need for safe and effective obesity prevention and treatment interventions.

Integrated approaches that acknowledge the full spectrum of eating and weight-related concerns during adolescence are required.

This consultation therefore aims to understand the views of young people on healthy eating, weight and body image and will inform the development of a local healthy weight offer in a way that puts young persons' experiences at the forefront.

This consultation will inform the establishment of support around healthy weight for young people aged 13- 18 years old in Cornwall.

The consultation aims to seek young people's views about the meaning of body size, shape or weight and what experiences they describe relating to these issues.

It also seeks to understand young people's views about changes that may help them to achieve or maintain a healthy weight and what an 'ideal offer' for managing excess weight looks like.

In particular, the consultation seeks to hear the views of under-represented young people who tend not to be heard and may be harder to engage in services, including young people from socioeconomically deprived communities and young people with learning disabilities.