Councillors praise value of Castle Point community leisure centres after visit
Councillors have praised the value of community leisure centres in Castle Point following a recent visit.
Castle Point councillors Tom Gibson and Rob Lillis toured Runnymede and Waterside Leisure Centres on Tuesday, June 17, alongside Shane Williams, assistant director for recreation.
They explored the facilities, discussed future plans, and saw how the centres are supporting residents' health and wellbeing.
Rob Lillis, councillor responsible for health, wellbeing and housing, said: "It was fantastic to see so many young people making the most of our leisure centres.
"At a time when childhood obesity is on the rise, it's more important than ever to provide accessible, active spaces for all."
Tom Gibson, councillor responsible for special projects and assets, said the centres play a key role in the community.
He said: "We're proud of the work being done and excited about what's to come.
"These centres are vital to the health and happiness of our residents."
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Body manipulation tactics can include wearing compression garments that restrict the stomach, using stimulants or other illicit drugs, lowering body temperature, inducing sweating, intentionally consuming foods incompatible with known intolerances (eg, gluten) to cause discomfort and suppress appetite, engaging in micro-exercise such as constant fidgeting or leg shaking, chewing gum, depriving oneself of sleep, or overeating to trigger vomiting. tactics can include wearing compression garments that restrict the stomach, using stimulants or other illicit drugs, lowering body temperature, inducing sweating, intentionally consuming foods incompatible with known intolerances (eg, gluten) to cause discomfort and suppress appetite, engaging in micro-exercise such as constant fidgeting or leg shaking, chewing gum, depriving oneself of sleep, or overeating to trigger vomiting. 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In a secondary analysis, researchers isolated responses from participants with different eating disorders. The most frequently reported weight-loss behaviors and resulting themes did not differ among eating disorders. In addition, an analysis examining the results according to gender showed weight-loss behaviors endorsed by men closely mirrored the broader sample. The findings underscored the importance of considering all possibilities when assessing for an eating disorder, Kakar said. Kakar emphasized the importance of moving beyond brief, proscriptive checklists in clinical assessments. Instead, she said physicians should engage in open-ended conversations with patients about the strategies they use to lose weight or control body shape, noting that this approach can reveal behaviors that might be overlooked by standard screening tools. 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This approach may be less daunting for providers than trying to keep up with an ever-expanding list of behaviors, she said. 'There are potentially an infinite number of things that people with, and without, eating disorders can do to modify weight, shape, or appearance,' Nowicki said. Nowicki noted that while it's important for clinicians to recognize specific weight-loss behaviors, it can be more effective — and less overwhelming — to take a broader view. Considering the context, motivation, and frequency of these behaviors may provide deeper clinical insight. She believes current DSM-5 eating disorder criteria are 'intentionally broad' in order to include all potential compensatory or purging behaviors. Self-report tools alone can't be expected to capture the full spectrum of eating disorder behaviors, said Nowicki.
