Adferiad releases this years’ End of Campaign Report for Let’s Get Physical: Whole Health, Whole Lives, Whole Picture

This years Summer Campaign has come to an end, and following a successful summer of events promoting physical health, fitness, and nutrition, we have compiled everything we learned into a report, Whole Health, Whole Lives, Whole Picture.

While Let’s Get Physical has been our 2024 campaign, its journey really began in 2014 with the first Let’s Get Physical campaign, launched by Hafal as we were at the time, which saw around 300 health checks offered and many attendees noting significant improvements in their physical wellbeing. Building on the success of the 2014 campaign, this year we renewed our commitment to improving physical health for all, with the health landscape in Wales failing to show any significant improvement in the last decade.

Physical health, exercise, and nutrition are powerful tools for improving mental health conditions and overall quality of life. Yet for individuals facing mental health or substance use challenges maintaining healthy habits can feel like an impossible task, with these individuals showing significantly higher rates of heart disease and diabetes.

Thanks to a fantastic turnout from our staff to support each of our seven campaign events across Wales, we grew the number of free health checks offered to 350, which produced some stark findings:

• The average BMI of those reporting a mental health or substance use issue was 2 points higher than those who didn’t, with both falling into the overweight category.
• 24% had not seen their GP in one or two years, nearly 1/5 had not seen their dentist in over 2 years, and most people had not had their eyes tested in over 2 years.
• 43% rated their overall health as ‘average’, with only a minority reporting ‘good’ or ‘excellent’ health.
• 32% had above threshold blood pressure, compared to 18% in 2014; while 24% had above threshold blood glucose, compared to 47% in 2014.

The results of the report provide a clear indication that more needs to be done to help people in Wales to monitor and look after their physical health, particularly within vulnerable populations. By shining a light on these challenges, we aim to inspire others to take action in breaking down barriers to accessing healthcare services. Our seven recommendations for health boards and local authorities are detailed in the report; we look forward to working with policymakers to influence positive change in our communities based on these findings and recommendations.

Sarah Murphy MS, Minister for Mental Health and Wellbeing, said at our End of Campaign event:

“We are now acutely aware that physical health and mental health are interlinked, and even more important for people living with longer-term mental health and substance use issues”

To read the full Whole Health, Whole Lives, Whole Picture campaign report in English, click here or to view the report in Welsh, click here