Slimming World leads discussion about raising the issue of weight with patients

Health professionals attending the Association for the Study of Obesity’s (ASO) National Conference on the 16th and 17th September attended a masterclass from Slimming World on how to sensitively raise the issue of weight with patients.

Health professionals attending the Association for the Study of Obesity’s (ASO) National Conference today on the 16th and 17th September attended a masterclass from Slimming World on how to sensitively raise the issue of weight with patients.

As part of its campaign to promote the importance of compassion for long-term behaviour change and weight management, Slimming World hosted a symposium for delegates looking at the importance of raising the subject of weight sensitively and demonstrating the importance of understanding an individual’s emotional and psychological barriers to changing their behaviour.

The Symposium followed hot on the heels of new research by University College London (UCL), published in the journal ‘Obesity’ last week, that reported that making people feel bad about their weight is counter-productive and is more likely to cause people to gain weight than lose it.

Jennifer Percival, one of the UK’s leading health education trainers and the latest addition to Slimming World’s specialist advisor panel, led the workshop that looked at how seeming judgemental when discussing weight with patients can generate ‘resistance to change, while an understanding approach can build trust and get the patient to consider their weight without feeling judged or criticised.

The interactive presentation used role-play to explore the challenges that sometimes prevent health professionals from having conversations about weight with patients. It also demonstrated techniques for asking supportive and open questions to build trust.

Dr Jacquie Lavin, Slimming World’s Head of Nutrition and Research, said: "The UK is the obesity capital of Europe and this is causing a huge rise in health problems such as diabetes, heart disease and stroke, as well as feelings of depression and poor self-esteem, among people who struggle with their weight.

“Health professionals have a duty of care to patients who are at risk of suffering physical or psychological harm as a result of their weight and we’re sharing our expertise to help give them the practical skills to be confident about raising the issue of weight in a sensitive way. People who struggle with their weight need kindness, understanding and support to help them tackle it.

“The burden carried by overweight people is two-fold. There is excess weight, but there is often a far heavier burden to be lifted – that of guilt, self-criticism and poor self-esteem. We know that making people feel bad about their size is more likely to lead to them seeking comfort in food and feeling too self-conscious to exercise, so it’s vital that health professionals understand how to address the issue of weight in a positive and non-critical way so that patients feel supported and safe enough to consider a change.”