Thread by @ZaherToumi

Very disappointing #obesity strategy from the UK government @BorisJohnson.Disappointing because it is:1)#weight biased 2)non #evidence-based and subsequently unlikely to be effective 3)ignores people with #obesity ie ignores treatment of obesity #obsmuk 👇 gov.uk/government/new…

2/The underlying issue that needs to be tackled in any #obesity strategy is bias and discrimination against people with obesity and the attached stigma. Weight bias and stigma hinder the efforts to initiate a proper strategy to fight obesity. #obsmuk #actonobesitynow

3/The measures that the UK government introduced are non evidence based. There is no evidence that the strategies the government introduced will prevent #obesity or treat #obesity. Subsequently, likely waste of time and money.

4/this policy ignores people living with #obesity. There is no evidence it will help people to lose weight.
Obesity treatment must be the cornerstone of any policy to tackle our current obesity epidemic. Unfortunately no effective treatment strategy is included.

5/Two thirds of the adult population is affected by overweight or obesity while people with obesity have little, fragmented, ineffective and postcode dependent access to treatment.

6/Any obesity treatment strategy must be evidence based, be free of weight bias, recognise the complexity of obesity, recognise the complexity of treating obesity and the need to work on such strategy in the long term.

7/In regards to the most clinically and cost effective treatment for obesity (ie bariatric surgery), the UK performs the lowest number of bariatric surgery operations (relative to the population) in the western world (bar ROI). We have one licensed obesity medication.

8/We have very few obesity specialists (physicians, surgeons, dietitians and psychologists). In summary, our #obesity treatment in the UK is too weak/ineffective and weakened further by @BorisJohnson 's strategy today.

All of these measures about #obesity from @BorisJohnson might sound intuitively helpful. But if there is no/ittle evidence for their usefulness, they are essentially based on prejudice and #weightbias. #obsmuk gov.uk/government/new…