New NICE guidance offers new advice for losing weight

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has issued new guidance showing how lifestyle weight management programmes can help people who are overweight or obese to lose weight permanently.

By focusing on diet, activity and behavioural changes, those struggling with weight problems will be able to improve their health by losing even a small amount of weight, provided they are able to keep it off.

Key recommendations include addressing the expectations and information needs of adults thinking about joining such a weight management programme in order to improve their uptake, adherence and outcomes, while commissioning effective new schemes.

Other prominent points include making sure services do not cause harm and doing more to refer overweight and obese adults to relevant programmes.

Professor Mike Kelly, director of the Centre for Public Health at NICE, said: "The guidance isn't about quick fixes. There is no 'magic bullet'. It is about ensuring effective services are there to support people in the long term."

NHS reports have previously forecast that the number of obese people in the UK is likely to rise in the coming years, meaning it is important that steps are taken to arrest this trend.