Press release: NHS Confederation Comment on NICE Guidelines on Obesity

13 Dec 2006

Commenting on the new NICE guidelines for urgent action to tackle obesity, Jo Webber, deputy policy director at the NHS Confederation, said:

"The NHS Confederation welcomes NICE's announcement of the first ever national guidelines to address obesity. This is an extremely important issue for the NHS and its partners in local government. If current rises in obesity continue, by 2010 the prevalence of diabetes could grow across England by 16 per cent from 2001 levels.

"The NHS and local government need to tackle this problem together. Obesity is largely a lifestyle issue and will be most effectively addressed by focusing not just on individual cases, but on families and communities across the generational divide."

Notes for editors

1. The NHS Confederation represents more than 90% of the organisations that make up the NHS. Its members include the majority of NHS acute trusts, ambulance trusts, foundation trusts, mental health trusts, primary care trusts, special health authorities and strategic health authorities in England; trusts and local health boards in Wales; and health and social service trusts and boards in Northern Ireland.

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