Response to obesity crisis warning
Welcoming today’s report from the National Obesity Forum that we are underestimating the scale of the problem of obesity, Dr Jacquie Lavin, head of Nutrition and Research at Slimming World says that while it’s important for health professionals to raise the issue of weight and how being overweight can impact on health, there’s a huge risk that while many more of us are struggling to manage our weight shock tactics could stigmatise and embarrass people who are overweight which would be counter-productive.
She also warns that the NHS does not have the resources to support the more than 30 million people who are overweight and obese in the UK. “At Slimming World we know that to succeed in losing weight and keeping it off, people need frequent and regular support,” she says.
“People who struggle with their weight already have low self-esteem and may have tried many times to lose weight and failed which leaves them feeling guilty and desperate. By using hard-hitting shock tactics we could possibly push people further into a cycle of self-criticism, despair and depression. Instead of criticism it’s crucial that people get ongoing regular caring and compassionate support to make changes and learn new healthier habits. With 11,000 groups in communities across the whole of the UK supporting around half a million members and an existing partnership programme with health authorities, few weight management organisations have the structure and resources and are in a better position to be able to help tackle obesity through healthy lifestyles changes,” she adds.
