Government task force needed to tackle obesity
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《英国医生杂志》
BMJ
The growing epidemic of obesity requires long term, sustainable changes that focus on the environment and encourage people to change their lifestyles rather than blaming obese people, says a report published in the United Kingdom this week.
The report says that action needs to be taken at every level—national, local, community, and individual—to halt the increase in overweight and obesity.
Its recommendations, made jointly by the Royal College of Physicians, the Faculty of Public Health, and the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, include establishing a cross governmental task force to develop and oversee the implementation of national strategies for tackling obesity.
The task force would engage the public, public services, local government, schools, the voluntary sector, industry, and business in developing strategies to counter obesity.
The rise in obesity has not been matched by an increase in training for health professionals, the new report says
Credit: BRIAN HARRIS/REX
Measures to reduce obesity should be long term and sustainable, recognising that behavioural change is complex, difficult, and takes time, the report notes. "The emphasis is on environment, empowerment and encouragement—dropping the blame culture, engaging the whole community and assisting all groups to take action according to their own opportunities and responsibilities, including health professionals," it explains.
The report, which was developed at the request of the chief medical officer, also says that health professionals need to be more involved in tackling obesity. It recommends that all NHS plans, policies, and clinical care strategies include the prevention and management of overweight and obesity.
To ensure that action is taken the report recommends that clinical governance of nutritional care be incorporated into service level agreements with trusts and primary care practices, so that action on nutrition is monitored and linked to payments for services.
Professor Peter Kopelman, professor of clinical medicine at Barts and the London, Queen Mary's School of Medicine and Dentistry, London, and chairman of the report's working party, said: "We are concerned that many health professionals do not see preventing or managing obesity as part of their job."(Susan Mayor)
The growing epidemic of obesity requires long term, sustainable changes that focus on the environment and encourage people to change their lifestyles rather than blaming obese people, says a report published in the United Kingdom this week.
The report says that action needs to be taken at every level—national, local, community, and individual—to halt the increase in overweight and obesity.
Its recommendations, made jointly by the Royal College of Physicians, the Faculty of Public Health, and the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, include establishing a cross governmental task force to develop and oversee the implementation of national strategies for tackling obesity.
The task force would engage the public, public services, local government, schools, the voluntary sector, industry, and business in developing strategies to counter obesity.
The rise in obesity has not been matched by an increase in training for health professionals, the new report says
Credit: BRIAN HARRIS/REX
Measures to reduce obesity should be long term and sustainable, recognising that behavioural change is complex, difficult, and takes time, the report notes. "The emphasis is on environment, empowerment and encouragement—dropping the blame culture, engaging the whole community and assisting all groups to take action according to their own opportunities and responsibilities, including health professionals," it explains.
The report, which was developed at the request of the chief medical officer, also says that health professionals need to be more involved in tackling obesity. It recommends that all NHS plans, policies, and clinical care strategies include the prevention and management of overweight and obesity.
To ensure that action is taken the report recommends that clinical governance of nutritional care be incorporated into service level agreements with trusts and primary care practices, so that action on nutrition is monitored and linked to payments for services.
Professor Peter Kopelman, professor of clinical medicine at Barts and the London, Queen Mary's School of Medicine and Dentistry, London, and chairman of the report's working party, said: "We are concerned that many health professionals do not see preventing or managing obesity as part of their job."(Susan Mayor)