Doctors told to report patients who put on weight

Head of the NHS sets out radical plans to fight the flab as new figures show that only Hungary is worse than the UK when it comes to obesity

Telegraph | December 25, 2014

General Practitioners will be asked to identify patients who are putting on weight under a new national program to help fight obesity.

Simon Stevens, the head of the NHS, said it was time for Britain to "get back in shape" in order to protect millions of people from a host of obesity-related diseases.

Under the scheme, family doctors will be asked to identify anyone who has gained weight and is at risk of diabetes – particularly those aged below 40.

They will then be offered tests for pre-diabetes, followed by healthy lifestyle advice and close monitoring to ensure they are eating better and exercising more.

It comes as new figures show Britain is now the second fattest nation in Europe, with almost 25 per cent of Britons classified as obese - compared with a European average of 16.7 per cent.

Mr Stevens, the chief executive of the health service, said obesity was a problem that could be tackled – provided schools, parents, the NHS and the food industry all 'got their act together' and worked in unison.

In a direct attack on last week's EU ruling - which said fatness could constitute a disability - Mr Stevens said such fatalistic attitudes to the issue were "daft".

Source: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/11295265/Doctors-told-to-report-patients-who-put-on-weight.html