Obesity has been the focus of many government initiatives in recent years. The NHS Long Term Plan of 2018 says the NHS will “provide a targeted support offer and access to weight management services in primary care for people with a diagnosis of type 2 diabetes or hypertension with a BMI of 30+ (adjusted appropriately for ethnicity)”. It also committed to doubling funding for the NHS Diabetes Prevention plan over five years in addition to testing an NHS programme supporting very low-calorie diets for obese people with type 2 diabetes.16

A Government green paper, Advancing our health: prevention in the 2020s, published in July 2019 proposes ways to address causes of preventable ill health. “Improving our diet is one of the biggest health-related actions we can take to improve the health of the nation,” it says. Proposals include “making it as easy as possible for people of all ages who want to lose weight to access the support they need”.17

A policy paper, Tackling obesity: government strategy, was published in July 2020 with the aim of “empowering adults and children to live healthier lives”.8 Priorities include:

·       a new campaign, promoting how to take steps to move towards a healthier weight, with evidence-based tools and apps advising on how to lose weight and keep it off

·       working to expand weight management services available through the NHS

·       working with food manufacturers around labelling, ingredients and advertising.

PHE’s new ‘Better Health’ campaign has advice on losing weight and getting more active, with a number of apps including the NHS Weight Loss Plan, Active 10, Easy Meals and Food Scanner.18

Social prescribing is also supported under the NHS Long Term Plan with evidence building that it can have a positive impact on health-related behaviours including weight loss, healthier eating and increased physical activity.16,19

Pharmacies can make referrals to link workers and primary care networks (PCNs) are setting up new social prescribing schemes. By 2023/24, the aim is to have 900,000 people being referred to social prescribing schemes.20,21