APPG on Obesity Holds its Annual General Meeting
2nd May 2023
On Tuesday 2nd May, the APPG on Obesity held its Annual General Meeting. This session confirmed the Group’s status for another reporting year, and re-elected Mary Glindon MP as Chair of the Group. A full report of the meeting can be found here.
The APPG has published a report on the impact of the Government’s calorie labelling policy, 24th March 2023
On 19th July 2022 the APPG launched its latest report, ‘The role of integrated care systems in supporting people living with obesity’
A summary of recommendations can be found below:
For Integrated Care Systems (ICSs):
1) Every ICS to have a clearly defined list of community resources and a stakeholder map detailing how each partner is
engaged in the joint endeavour of supporting weight management services.
2) Individual ICSs to set out long term vision for obesity strategy in collaboration with all stakeholders, outlining a process
for knowledge sharing, agreed milestones, and with a mechanism for monitoring progress.
3) Appropriate training for all healthcare professionals to ensure appropriate and correct usage of language regarding
obesity, and broadening understanding of the causes and treatments for obesity.
4) A feedback loop must be created which allows improvement suggestions to flow up and down the obesity pathway,
from people living with obesity and GPs up to ICS leads and policy makers, and back down the chain. Third sector
organisations should be included in this process.
5) All ICSs to develop defined specialist teams to include professionals from across health and social care, embedded
within communities and operating at a tertiary level.
For Policy Makers and Government:
1) The Government should look to align the work of weight management with the levelling up agenda and obesity
strategies focused on prevention. This will allow those most in need to be supported first.
2) For patient involvement to be made a defined statutory requirement with a clearly defined role for patient engagement
in every level of the ICS.
3) Long-term, ring fenced funding to be made available for collaborative delivery across the obesity pathway.
In 2022 the APPG on Obesity Released UK Parliamentary Language Guidelines
In November 2020 the APPG launched its ‘The Future of Obesity Services’ Report
The APPG on Obesity’s second report, ‘The Future of Obesity Services’ was launched in November 2020. A summary of recommendations can be found below:
The Government should continue to promote its ‘Better Health’ campaign and should build on this with a public information campaign about the range of support options, including treatment, available for people with obesity with a focus on overall health both in the short and long term.
The Government should establish a cross-Departmental delivery panel to oversee the implementation of obesity policy, including a ‘whole-systems’ approach, and to measure and report on the success of these policies on obesity outcomes.
The Government should commission research into the links between socioeconomic deprivation, ethnicity and obesity, consulting with experts and designing tailored strategies to reduce obesity in underserviced communities based on its findings.
Integrated Care Systems should be mandated to develop an obesity prevention and treatment strategy for their population, strengthening existing services and sharing best practice across the network.
The Government should provide clear national guidance on obesity treatment pathways and commissioning responsibilities and set a minimum standard for treatment at a local level. Furthermore, key incentives should be developed and put in place for implementation of the local obesity strategy and execution of services to change overall population health.
In 2018, the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Obesity launched its report into the current landscape of obesity services
The All-Party Parliamentary Group on Obesity launched its inquiry findings on 15th May 2018 at an official event in Parliament.
Key findings of the report:
88% of people with obesity who took part in the survey have been stigmatised, criticised or abused as a result of their obesity.
94% of all respondents believe that there is not enough understanding about the causes of obesity amongst the public, politicians and other stakeholders.
42% of people with obesity did not feel comfortable talking to their GP about their obesity.
More than one third of people with obesity who completed the survey stated that they have not accessed any lifestyle or prevention services.
The report makes a number of recommendations, including:
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 discuss a 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.
The Government should commission or support the development of a thorough, peer-reviewed cost benefit analysis of earlier intervention and treatment of people with obesity.