Doctors have been warned to refrain from blaming and pointing the finger at patients for being overweight or obese.
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) have
created new draft guidance for tackling obesity, and in particularly the
correct manner in dealing with obese patients. In the past NICE have
asked doctors to actually stop saying the word “obese” as it may be
deemed “derogatory”.
All doctors, GPs and other health
professionals should now strive for a more sensitive tone which is
“respectful” and “non-blaming” as this will “minimise harm”, according
to the health watchdog.
Rather than looking at short-term and temporary weight loss, the
guidance on lifestyle weight management programmes will aim to help
overweight and obese people to both lose weight and then maintain the healthier weight, focusing on achievable goals, with positive long-term lifestyle changes.
NICE advise that more patients should be referred “lifestyle weight
management” programmes such as Weight Watchers as programmes which
thoroughly assess their diet, levels of activity and behaviour may save
money in the long-term. Specifically, adults with a BMI in excess of 30
kg/m² and those identified as overweight or obese through the NHS Health
Check or other services should be referred to these programmes.
Obesity is linked to a huge range of serious health problems such as
type-2 diabetes, certain cancers (e.g. breast and prostate cancer),
arthritis, heart disease (from smoking and high cholesterol),
infertility, asthma, back pain, depression and kidney disease.
NICE say that such conditions, and the many more that have been
linked to obesity, place a massive strain on the already stretched NHS,
costing an estimated £5.1 billion each and every year and “placing a
huge strain on the health service”.
Professor Mike Kelly, director of the centre for public health at
Nice, said: “Being overweight or obese can have serious consequences for
an individual’s health, not only physically with increased risk of high
blood pressure and type 2 diabetes, but it can also affect their mental
health as a result of stigma and bullying or discrimination. Levels of
obesity in England are rising, with a little over a quarter of adults
classified as obese and a further 41% of men and 33% of women
overweight.
Professor Kelly continued: “This is a huge proportion of our
population. This new draft guidance focuses on the provision of
effective lifestyle weight management services and makes a number of
recommendations to ensure that the providers of programmes whether from
the private, public, or voluntary sector follow good, evidence-based
practice.This draft guidance isn’t about quick fixes, it is about
ensuring lifestyle weight management services support people in the
long-term. Programmes that address diet, activity and behaviour change
can help people who are obese lose weight but they are only
cost-effective if the weight is kept off.”
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