Rushmoor Healthy Living

Innovation Conference Project BE Healthy BE You - delivered by RHL (Rushmoor Healthy Living).

Final Report and Evaluation

Aims:

We wanted to use our expertise in community engagement, to set up an innovative 6 month pilot project which will address some of the needs we identified through our work during the lockdowns. The project brought together a small group of local residents – 10 (within the stated CCG areas - mainly from Rushmoor) and collaborated closely with them to motivate, support and equip participants to:

• eat a healthier, reduced calorie diet and increase their physical activity levels with the aim of losing weight and improving physical health and mental wellbeing

Our Staff:

• provided group as well as individual support
• encouraged support relationships between group members in order to foster peer motivation, as well as to provide a long-lasting support mechanism to increase the likelihood of participants sustaining changes after the project ends. Very soon, the group had become friends with each other and a real sense of working as a team was established
• provided motivation as well as encouraging peer support
• provided regular supported check-ins to encourage accountability – but a soft approach so as not to pressure anyone
• encouragement and supported lifestyle changes – provided advice on a safe way to change
• removed barriers by offering tools and knowledge to help equip participants to make successful long-term lifestyle changes and behavioural changes. We encouraged the group to swap stories and talk about issues regarding these changes – everyone is different, but all waned to achieve the same goal.
• offered tips and encourage the group to share tips to help participants achieve the aims. We provided the data behind the tips and ways to use them
• created a toolkit which we can use to roll out a subsequent project at significantly reduced cost and with the potential to benefit larger numbers of local residents

Be Healthy Be You was a completely different approach to the normal weight loss programmes. We provided more individual and tailored support to the pilot participants compared to that provided by well-known general weight loss groups and would look at supporting participants to overcome barriers which would otherwise stop them from achieving the aims.  We targeted those who would be unlikely to seek ‘help’ from well-known general weight loss groups (perhaps as a result of factors such as lack of confidence/ self-esteem, lack of knowledge etc) or had found their methods did not work. We took away the naming and shaming and “competitive” nature of mass weigh ins that feedback had told us were a barrier to continue a weight loss programme. They found those methods too brutal and while they may motivate in the short term, actually become a burden and negative impact long term. We believe behavioural change is at the heart of any programme and likely to endure than lose weight quick schemes.

Impacts and Outcomes

We feel we achieved our aims and direct impacts and outcomes on individuals and the group were:

Weight loss, increased confidence, feeling healthier, improved mental health, improved physical health, feeling of belonging, peer support, behavioural change, lifestyle change, reduction in loneliness and isolation, digital inclusion and accessibility (through Zoom, Teams, Facebook etc), increased confidence of body image, sense of achievement, reduction in anxiety, newfound sense of aspiration, better knowledge of nutrition, new “friends for life”

These impacts and outcomes are what the group members listed to us. We asked how they felt at the start of the programme and at the end. The difference was startling. We also used the physical results (weight loss, body measurements etc) but the key fact was the palpable evidence of behavioural change that led to better confidence and sense of wellbeing. The group went from apprehension and shyness to enjoyment and openness in a noticeably brief period of time and maintained this until the end of the project, they told us the changes THEY had made would be easy to keep long term and reported that happiness and feeling well were a far better motivation than calorie counting or diet fads.

Supporting Facts:

Decreasing weight, improving diet and increasing physical activity levels, are all factors that are well-known to significantly improve physical health, reduce obesity and reduce risk factors for a wide range of diseases/conditions. Obesity significantly increases the risk of severe illness and dying from Covid, as well as potentially leading to a number of serious and potentially life-threatening well-known conditions including type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease, some types of cancer and stroke. The project’s outcomes will improve physical health and support the prevention of a wide range of conditions such as those mentioned above. The project is also likely to therefore reduce doctor and hospital visits, reduce long-term social care needs and support people to remain independent for longer.

Decreasing weight, improving diet and increasing physical activity levels can all have a significant impact on mental wellbeing. Increasing physical activity for example can improve mood, reduce stress, improve energy levels and improve sleep quality. Eating healthily can improve your mood, concentration and energy levels and help reduce depression and anxiety. In addition, having peer support and building social relationships can have an enormous impact on how we feel.

The project encouraged participants to come together to support each other to achieve the project aims. It helped facilitate the building of friendships and peer support mechanisms, which have the potential to be long lasting. We know from our work with our class members during lockdown, that many were feeling lonely and isolated. We also know that using our tried and tested methods of engagement within other RHL projects, we have proved highly effective at reducing loneliness and isolation and we feel we achieved this with Be Healthy Be You.

Summarising Statements from individual and group results and end of project questionnaire.

• Average weight loss - 7lbs! - Biggest weight loss - 11lb!
• Average of 1.45inches lost from chest measurements - biggest chest measurement loss - 4inches
• Average of 2.3inches lost from waist measurements - Biggest Waist measurement loss - 5inches
• Average of 2.12inches lost from hip measurements - biggest hip measurement loss - 3.5inches
• Average of 1.3 inches lost from Arm measurements - biggest arm measurement loss - 2 Inches
• Average 1.9 inches lost from Thigh measurements - Biggest Thigh measurement loss - 4 inches
• 90% of participants lost weight
• 100% of participants lost inches from their body measurements.

Summary of questionnaire / direct feedback

• Confidence has skyrocketed with 90% of participants feeling more confident. Some participants even say they feel 8 Times more confident in themselves than before starting the class.
• 80% of participants feel more confident in not only shopping for but also creating healthier meals for themselves and family members.
• Weight loss seems to be the thing participants are most proud of from the sessions.
• Guest speakers were a big hit.
• 70% felt they had the right amount of support
• 70% would support a weekly peer support session
• 80% of participants feel energy levels have increased
• All participants felt supported, 60% of participants felt completely supported
• 40% of participants involved family members with their healthy eating plans. Helping them to eat healthier too

Healthy choices -

• 100% reported making healthy swaps.
• 90% have decreased their fat intake.
• 70% have reduced sugar intake
• 80% have reduced Calorie intake
• 70% have reduced frequency of consuming takeaways and ready meals
• 50% increased consumption of wholemeal and wholegrain foods.
• 60% have increased water intake.
• 90% now eat more than one piece of fruit or veg a day.

 Quotes from service users:

• “It has enabled me to make healthier food choices and be aware of my exercise levels”
• “Supported me through tough times when confidence low or unwell”
• “A definite increase in motivation, and a small weight loss to go with it!!
• “Helped me to get myself in the right direction by finally starting losing weight, think more about what I eat.”
• “Made me more self-assertive.”
• “It made me think about myself more and try to be more positive”
• “Loved the project, really worthwhile to do as a group – Rachael (RHL) has been fantastic support, has so much knowledge and has been so supportive.  Great talks organised from professional people, thank you so much.”

Conclusion

The results speak for themselves. The group of ten strangers from all walks of life really enjoyed the programme and the feedback has been fantastic.

The determination and enthusiasm to continue the programme outside of the project is the real success. Friendships and peer support mini groups have been established and the feeling of happiness and new-found confidence tells us it was a success. I am proud we took  on a project that was so different than the usual weight loss programme. We did not concentrate on weight loss or finite results. We invested in meaningful behavioural change through tailored support that would lead to a far more sustainable weight loss and wellbeing. Feedback is telling us we have achieved this.

Since the programme finished, Rushmoor Borough Council contacted us and provided the funding for another 6 month project. It fits perfectly with their priority to reduce the high rates of obesity throughout the Borough. I will be contacting Hampshire County Council to obtain funding so we can expand the size and scope if the project across other boroughs.

Our success reflects what the Innovation Conference agenda set out to achieve i.e. support organisations to trial new and ground-breaking projects to improve the health and wellbeing of people across the Frimley CCG area. The fact we can sustain the project after your funding pays testament to the Innovation Committee decision to fund us and our confidence that this new radical approach would work.

Jim Ruddy, CEO

RHL (Rushmoor Healthy Living)