CRAVEN residents are being urged to give their views on a new strategy to tackle obesity amongst children and adults.

North Yorkshire Health and Wellbeing Board is consulting the public regarding its blueprint for addressing the issue during the next decade.

Priorities in the draft plan include promoting healthy food choices, developing healthier workplaces and building physical activity into daily lives.

"We are hoping for some valuable feedback, which we will consider carefully before finalising our new strategy," said Councillor David Chance, executive member for public health.

"We're very keen to hear from as many people as possible."

Visit northyorks.gov.uk/hwhl for more details and to submit comments via an online questionnaire.

Copies of the questionnaire can also be obtained by e-mailing customer.services@northyorks.gov.uk or calling 01609 780780.

The consultation ends on August 26.

Meanwhile, the county council has rolled-out a Healthy Choices programme as part of its anti-obesity efforts.

The initiative is providing free help and support to families and children.

It has been launched as latest data shows that nationally, one in five children aged four to five is overweight or obese. The figure increases to one in three by the age of ten to 11.

"Healthy Choices offers a fun and bespoke family-focused package of support for children and young people who are above a healthy weight," said Cllr Janet Sanderson, executive member for children's services.

"Places on the programme are totally free and can be booked either through health professionals, such as healthy child teams and GPs, or by the families themselves.

"The aim is to help children and young people work towards achieving – and then maintaining – a healthy weight, by providing them and their family with the tools and information to make positive and realistic changes in their habits. Importantly, the emphasis is on family fun rather than a strict diet regime."

The 12-week programme is led by a healthy lifestyle advisor, within the family home or at a community venue.

Families take part in a range of interactive sessions based on lifestyle topics and complete weekly challenges, setting their own personal goals.

Call 01609 798081 for more details about the Healthy Choices programme.

Families that don't qualify for the scheme can obtain support through the Change4life initiative at the nhs.uk/change4life website.