ï‚· Survey of the public by MPs and peers finds 88% of people
with obesity have been stigmatised, criticised or abused as a
result of their obesity. ï‚· 94% of all respondents believe
that there is not enough understanding about the causes of obesity
amongst the public, politicians and other stakeholders. ï‚·
42% of people with obesity did not feel comfortable talking
to their GP...Request free trial
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ï‚· Survey of the public by MPs and
peers finds 88% of people with obesity have been stigmatised,
criticised or abused as a result of their obesity.
-
ï‚· 94% of all respondents believe
that there is not enough understanding about the causes of
obesity amongst the public, politicians and other
stakeholders.
-
ï‚· 42% of people with obesity did
not feel comfortable talking to their GP about their
obesity.
-
ï‚· More than one third of people
with obesity who completed the survey stated that they
have
not accessed any lifestyle or prevention
services.
-
ï‚· Group finds NHS is failing
people with obesity.
-
ï‚· Cross-party group of MPs calls
for a national obesity strategy for adults and children to
tackle
the ‘obesity epidemic’.
The All-Party Parliamentary Group on Obesity will today
launch a report which finds the NHS is failing people with
obesity. A survey conducted by the group found that four out
of ten people with obesity found it difficult to access
lifestyle and prevention services. 88% of respondents said
they have been stigmatised, criticised or abused as a result
of their obesity.
The group has called for:
-
ï‚· A national
obesity strategy, bringing together different
government departments, to ensure children are protected from
junk food and adults with obesity who seek help from their GP
have access to advice and treatment. Access to effective
obesity services is currently a postcode lottery, with
decisions on funding for obesity services being made by local
commissioners. A whole-system approach with government
backing, they said, would make action more likely.
-
ï‚· The Government to lead or
support efforts by the clinical community
to investigate whether obesity should be
classified as a disease in the UK, and what this
would mean for the NHS and other services.
-
ï‚· The Government to commission or
support the development of a thorough,
peer-reviewed cost benefit analysis of
earlier intervention and treatment of patients with
obesity.
The group also backed calls by figures such as Jamie
Oliver for the Government to introduce a 9pm watershed for
advertisements for junk food, to tackle childhood
obesity.
The report will be launched in Westminster by , Labour; and
,
Conservative.
MP, chair of the
All-Party Parliamentary Group, said:
“The need to tackle obesity is rising fast up the
political agenda, and I am pleased to launch this
timelyreport into the whole obesity
pathway.
“Our cross-party group is calling for an
ambitious national obesity strategy which covers the
prevention and treatment of childhood and adult
obesity.
“The Government made some progress with the 2016
childhood obesity strategy. But it is time to
re- examine where adults with obesity can seek
help, and to introduce a 9pm watershed on junk food
advertising to tackle childhood obesity.
“It is unacceptable that people with obesity can seek
advice from their GP only to find
localcommissioners have not put in place any
services. We want to see the NHS provide an
appropriateand uniform service to people with
obesity across the country. If we don’t tackle the obesity
crisis effectively, the additional pressures on the NHS
will be unsustainable.”
ENDS
Key survey findings:
-
ï‚· 88% of people with obesity
reported having been stigmatised, criticised or abused
as a direct result of their obesity.
-
ï‚· 94% of all respondents
believe that there is not enough understanding about
the causes of obesity amongst the public, politicians
and other stakeholders.
-
ï‚· Just 26% of people with
obesity reported being treated with dignity and respect
by healthcare professionals when seeking advice or
treatment for their obesity.
-
ï‚· 42% of people with obesity
did not feel comfortable talking to their GP about
their obesity.
-
ï‚· More than one third of
people with obesity who completed the survey stated
that they have
not accessed any lifestyle or prevention
services.
-
ï‚· 39% of people with obesity
who accessed lifestyle and prevention services found it
incredibly
or moderately difficult to do so.
Recommendations:
-
A national obesity strategy for both adult and
childhood obesity should be developed and implemented
by the Government, with input from key stakeholders.
This should look to strengthen existing services and
replicate best practice across the country.
-
Obesity/weight management training should be
introduced into medical school syllabuses to ensure GPs
and other healthcare practitioners feel able and
comfortable to raise and discussa person’s
weight, without any stigma or
discrimination.
-
The Government should implement a 9pm watershed
on advertising of food and drinks high in fat, sugar
and salt to protect children during family viewing
time.
-
The Government should lead or support efforts by
the clinical community to investigate whether obesity
should be classified as a disease in the UK, and what
this would mean for the NHS and other
services.
5. The Government should commission or support the
development of a thorough, peer- reviewed cost benefit
analysis of earlier intervention and treatment of
patients with obesity.
APPG officers:
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ï‚· MP - Chair
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ï‚· Professor the – Vice
Chair
-
ï‚· The – Vice
Chair
-
ï‚· – Vice
Chair
-
ï‚· The Rt Hon the – Vice
Chair
Inquiry methodology
The inquiry consisted of an online survey which
asked questions about their experience from people with
obesity as well as healthcare professionals. The
inquiry also invited submissions of email evidence to
the group secretariat. The online inquiry received
1,450 submissions in total. This is made up
of48% of submissions from people with
obesity, and 52% healthcare professionals and “other”.
An oralevidence session was also held,
where a group of six experts were invited to Parliament
to present formal oral evidence.
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