Most people who need to lose weight can see health benefits from losing even a small amount of their weight €“ about 5% €“ if they keep it off, says NHS Choices.7 Helping people to achieve this is something that all health professionals should be involved in, whether or not they provide specific weight management services.
In 2013, the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges published 'Measuring Up', setting out a range of actions that medics and other health professionals could do to help overweight people. It also called for more activity to raise awareness among the public, and for changes around ingredients in foods and drinks, and their availability and promotion.15
The first of its 10 key recommendations raised the need to educate health professionals €to ensure 'making every contact count' becomes a reality, particularly for those who have most influence on patient behaviour.€ This would involve some basic training about sensitive recognition and appropriate referral for people who are overweight or obese.
However, the report also recognised that such interventions are not going to be meaningful without having weight management services to refer patients (or customers) to. It also noted that €there are a limited number of well-designed fully evidence-based, effective and transferable weight management programmes, available for use in routine NHS primary care.€
Since then, NICE has published its public health guideline (PH53) 'Weight management: lifestyle services for overweight or obese adults'.16 This was followed soon after by its clinical guideline CG189 'Obesity: identification, assessment and management'.12
The NHS has also published information about weight loss diets, including the British Dietetic Association's review of 12 popular diets assessing pros and cons. It also promotes the NHS weight loss plan, developed with the BDA. This has a 12-week programme to get people started on losing weight and adopting a healthier lifestyle while recording exercise levels and calorie intake.17