The UK's most up-to-date social housing and public sector news website
Ballroom dancing available on NHS in obesity campaign
Other Health stories
- Seven million households live in fuel poverty, charity warns
- Housing groups to offer care and support services through new health consortium
- Landlord puts family of eight 'at risk' over gas safety failure
- East London and Manchester have UK's highest levels of child poverty - research
- Shapps launches 'new deal' to help older people live independently
Advertisement
Dance es are to be provided on the National Health Service in a bid to counter declining fitness levels and prevent a national obesity crisis, it is reported today.
The Independent on Sunday says ministers were preparing to roll out a campaign to get people to take more exercise across England and Wales.
According to the paper, these will include street-dancing, tango es and trampolining among a range of activities funded by NHS trusts.
At the same time GPs are to be issued with questionnaires to help them assess the fitness levels of those patients whose lifestyles they are concerned about.
A spokeswoman for the Department of Health said that a series of pilot projects around the country had demonstrated that "physical activity interventions were cost effective and saved the NHS money in the long run".
She said Public Health Minister Caroline Flint would be making an announcement on Tuesday.
Copyright Press Association 2006.
