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Obesity publications for others working on obesity

  • Last modified date:
    19 March 2008

Foresight - Tackling Obesities - Future Choices Project

The Government asked Foresight in 2005 to carry out a review of obesity. Foresight reported its findings ‘Tackling Obesities: Future Choices’ Project  in October 2007.

Foresight is the UK Government’s science based futures think tank based in the Government Office for Science. The aim of the programme is to build on the scientific evidence base to provide challenging visions of the future to help inform government strategies, policies and priorities.

Obesity Toolkit

The National Heart Forum has updated its toolkit “Lightening the Load: tackling overweight and obesity” produced in association with the Faculty of Public Health and Department of Health.  The toolkit, for developing local strategies to prevent and tackle overweight and obesity in children and adults is aimed at local teams involved in planning and coordinating strategies. The primary purpose of the toolkit is to provide a framework for the development of a comprehensive local strategy through primary care, local government and local partnerships.  It provides a comprehensive range of tools and signposts the reader to relevant sources of information on evidence and effectiveness.  Originally produced in 2006, the latest version has been updated to reflect the NICE guidance on obesity published in December 2006. 

NICE guidance

The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) published Guidance on the prevention, identification, assessment and management of overweight and obesity in adults and children in December 2006.

The guidance makes a series of recommendations covering the NHS, local authorities and partners, early-years settings, schools, workplaces, self-help, commercial and community settings.

These recommendations are practical and very much in line with our cross-Government programme on obesity.

It is the first integrated clinical and public health guidance to be published by NICE and includes a focus on prevention in addition to clinical intervention, recognising that obesity is a complex problem.

The Department of Health strongly encourages professionals from NHS, local authorities and partners, early-years settings, schools, workplaces, self-help, commercial and community settings to read this guidance and build the recommendations into their local planning strategies.

The NICE guidance on obesity can be downloaded using the link below.

National Child Measurement Programme

This national programme involves all children in Reception and Year 6 having their height and weight recorded. The exercise will take place in schools every year.

The healthy living social marketing initiative: a review of the evidence

This report is part of the healthy living social marketing initiative that underpins the Government’s approach to tackling obesity. The report is integral to answering key questions; what in people’s  behaviours place them at risk of unhealthy weight gain, what drives their current behaviours, how might they be motivated to change, who might be able to influence them and what might act as barriers to change. The report is intended for use by health professionals, Government, local government, NGO and for profit organisations.

Forecasting obesity to 2010

The focus of this report is to forecast what levels of obesity in England may be in 2010 if current trends in obesity prevalence continue unchanged.

Obesity Bulletin

This bulletin updates on the Obesity PSA target and delivery strategy, and highlights good practice. The Obesity Bulletin will be published twice yearly as part of the government’s obesity programme.

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