A pioneering obesity clinic in Rotherham established following a healthy eating campaign in the town by TV chef Jamie Oliver may be forced to close due to funding cuts.
The Rotherham Institute of Obesity is one of 21 public health services under review by the local council after it was forced to cut £1.3m from its budget by the government.
Clinical manager Dr Matt Capehorn said that any cuts to the clinic’s funding would leave them unable to operate. “We’re very concerned for the population of Rotherham,” he said.
According to local authority figures, around 73% of adults in the South Yorkshire town are overweight and obese, leading it to being dubbed “fat capital” of the UK.
“We see on average about 1,500 patients referred to [the institute] each year and our budget is £300,000 from the local authority,” Capehorn told the BBC. “Even a small financial cut means we would have to close.”
Labour councillor Chris Read said: “The fact that we’re losing £2m over this three-year period will affect that and the council has no choice but to reduce those services.”
Local MP Sarah Champion has called on the local authority not to cut the service, saying it was “literally saving lives” in her constituency.
The Rotherham Institute for Obesity, or RIO, is part of the NHS Rotherham Weight Management Strategy which won the 2009 NHS health and social care award for best commissioned service. It provides a counselling service, cooking classes and diet planning to patients.
In 2011 the clinic came under fire for its use of public money. The service spent £775,000 treating 1,600 overweight adults and 200 children over 18 months, equating to £60 for every pound of weight lost.
Champion said: “[Rotherham metropolitan borough council] is facing £1.3m government cuts to public health so I understand they have to make tough choices, but closing RIO is the wrong decision.
“RIO is more than just a weight loss clinic. It empowers people, gives them their lives back and turns them into ambassadors for healthy living.
“Public health investment is all about prevention, which saves money in the long term. If people aren’t supported to lose weight they may have health complications, suffer from social isolation and even mental health issues. Treatment for these resulting conditions would be much more than addressing the weight.”
In 2006, a backlash against Jamie Oliver’s healthy school dinners campaign saw parents taking lunchtime fast food orders for pupils at the Rawmarsh community school. Oliver went on to set up his Ministry of Food in the town, which aimed to teach the town’s residents how to cook healthy, cheap and appetising meals.
