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In 2008, approximately 24% of the adult population in England was classified as obese.¹ Obesity levels in Scotland are even higher. The condition is estimated to cost the NHS £4.2 billion per year and the English economy £15.8 billion per year.² Managing and preventing obesity is a major health priority that GPs come face-to-face with every day.

Several evidence-based guidelines are currently available on the management of obesity: NICE published comprehensive guidance in 2006 ³ and SIGN issued its recommendations earlier this year.⁴ Commenting on these guidelines, Dr Matt Capehorn (GP and Clinical Director of the National Obesity Forum) stated that, ‘It is reassuring to find that 4 years after the publication of the NICE guideline, the new SIGN guideline reinforces most of the same advice that appeared in it.’ He provides his personal view on the SIGN guideline recommendations (click here), and highlights some of the key areas that may be confusing for GPs or require clarification; these include assessment of obesity in children, managing obesity and co-morbidities, and bariatric surgery. There will be further coverage of the SIGN obesity guideline in the next issue of Guidelines in Practice with the publication of a review article written by a member of the Guideline Development Group.

The rise in maternal obesity is another health concern and NICE is focusing on weight management in pregnancy in order to help tackle this issue. Consultation on the draft guidance is underway and publication is expected in July 2010.⁵ At the request of the Department of Health, NICE is also developing guidance on a community based, whole-system approach to preventing obesity, and launch is anticipated in March 2012.⁵ Future developments will be highlighted in Guidelines in Practice.

Julia Morris, Editor
julia.morris@mgp.ltd.uk

References

1. The NHS Information Centre. Statistics on obesity, physical activity and diet: England, 2010. Health and Social Care Information Centre, 2010. Available at: www.ic.nhs.uk/statistics-and-data-collections/health-andlifestyles/obesity
2. Department of Health. 2009 Annual report of the Chief Medical Officer. London, DH: 2010. www.dh.gov.uk/publications
3. National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence. Obesity: Guidance on the prevention, identification, assessment and management of overweight and obesity in adults and children. Clinical Guideline 43. London: NICE, 2006. Available at: guidance.nice.org.uk/CG43
4. Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network. Management of obesity. SIGN 115. Edinburgh: SIGN, 2010. Available at: www.sign.ac.uk
5. National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence website: www.nice.org.uk (accessed 8 April 2010).G