Obesity Hub
Obesity is an increasingly common health issue; over 60% of the population of England has either overweight or obesity, and this is linked to a rise in the prevalence of conditions such as type 2 diabetes and endometrial cancer.
The obesity hub contains eLearning courses and a podcast, covering all aspects of obesity in children and adults. This includes consultation skills, such as asking permission to discuss obesity (the 5A approach), the science behind obesity and why ‘eat less, move more’ is generally not helpful advice. Modules also cover the management options in primary care (dietetics, individual or group physical exercise and orlistat), or after referral to a weight loss clinic (GLP1 agonists and MDT input) or bariatric surgery service. In most cases children will not be advised to lose weight but dietetics input will aim for no further weight gain while the child grows. There is significant stigma surrounding obesity and the course on motivational interviewing should help to make some of these consultations more effective.
The podcast is titled obesity and COVID-19, but it also explores the importance of overweight and obesity in the context of other health conditions, and their impact on the healthcare system and population needs.