Families will get shop discounts for exercising and free bikes under NHS plan to develop ‘fat-fighting’ towns
Overweight families will be given incentives to lose weight such as money off their food shop and cinema tickets
Families will get shop discounts for exercising and free bikes under an NHS plan to develop ten “fat-fighting towns”.
Mobile phone apps will track activity and residents who meet targets could get a quarter off food bills or cash back on trainers.
Walking just over six miles for three days in a week would result in free cinema tickets under the plan to help slash obesity.
Developers will give free bikes with new homes. Streets will have built-in adventure areas, gyms and sprint tracks.
Halton Lea in Runcorn, Cheshire, will pilot the scheme.
If successful, Whitehill and Bordon, Hants; Cranbrook, Devon; Barking Riverside, East London; Whyndyke Farm in Fylde, Lanc; Bicester, Oxon; Darlington; Northstowe in Cambridge; Ebbsfleet Garden City, Kent and Oxford’s Barton Park may follow.
NHS England chief Simon Stevens said: “Everyone benefits.”
Ukactive’s Steven Ward added: “It’s time to rip up the town planning rule book and get people back on their feet.”
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