I want to ask for your ideas on this (health/obesity)

[creampie]

Husband is a GP. There is money available in the health board to use towards getting those with the largest BMI back into the healthy range.

They can literally propose any ideas they like, including offering it as a cash prize to the person losing the most weight.

What do you think would work best? Offering a prize? Or something like a free weight watchers group? Something entirely different?

Genuinely interested in your ideas as to what would be most useful

Paying a proper dietician within the surgery.

Honestly I don't think it's a money problem, sorry. By that I mean it's not something money can solve.

Personally I wouldn't make it into a competition, it should be about the person and their own battle not pitching people against each other.

Personally (as someone who has lost nearly 6 stone) I would rather money used was put into proper support - both for the food/exercise side of things and for the emotional sides of things. Perhaps some group sessions available but easy to access 1-1 support

We have a 'clinical commissioning group' now where I am. I wish they would obsess less about BMI, tbh.

What do the patients feel they would like? I think it has to be genuinely judgement free, and a support rather than a prize.

A free weekly fitness class?

So maybe employing a dietician and a councillor? And maybe some kind of exercise class?

I think it would be good to have someone who can help people eat low calorie when on a budget. Helping them meal plan and plan their shopping would be great. A prize would be wrong as some people find it harder than others to loose weight.

Isn't it pretty obvious that WW and similar aren't working...except from the point of view of its shareholders

Gym membership?

proper emotional support and decent food on a budget sound like good ideas. people who are very overweight and want to lose it have to stay motivated for a long time, and that's not easy, especially when our society is now geared up to make food available 24/7

my bugbear though is about the language directed at people who are obese and overweight, but i don't think that can be changed by a single GP sadly

help with meal planning - including cooking lessons - it may not be the NHS's remit but would be of huge benefit to thousands of people who struggle to eat well on a budget, through lack of know how

Make it about health not weight, don't turn people away because they aren't obese enough.

if stuff like support groups (or fitness groups or gym) then you have to take into account people who have commitments at home like those who don't have easy access to childcare in the evenings etc

hmmmm interesting user name Creampie
and someone who has obviously no understanding of the problem

and posting as supposed research for your husband?

I can feel my hackles rising
but assuming you were being genuine..what does your husbands practice have in place now....?

When they send out letters to schoolchildren (recent thread) telling their parents they are obese are they funded for any kind of programme - exercise - counselling - family counselling - family education - or is labelling them and telling their parents actually considered enough ?

what kind of dietary advice is available...those nicely yellow useless fit 4 life leaflets ?

the governments "my plate" which is painfully out of date ?

Any kind of dietary advice..that actually works as opposed to yo yo dieting ? - such as weight watchers offers ?

If there was a quick fix everyone would be healthy weight or thin as they liked...

People need good education, lifestyle change and the means to implement it, and above all a willingness to commit to change...I just dont know how you give those to people ... but if I work it out I'll see you on the rich list or the Nobel prizes..

i have seen the OP around before i'm fairly sure

Counselling. There is not nearly enough emotional/mental health support.

Put the name of all the fatties in a hat. Winner gets a free gastric band?

IMO food is just the symptom.

Everyone has an underlying issue surrounding obesity. I'm over weight but that is because when I have a chance to eat it's what ever is easiest.

Salads gets boring after a while. What I would love is to be able to eat properly. Have 3 meals instead of waiting till 5-6pm till I eat.

I think all of the above suggestions are great, but dealing with the symptom rather than the cause will never solve the obesity epidemic IMHO. A lot of people are overweight for a variety of reasons and many have tried all sorts of diets, exercise regimes etc before. Nothing will work until someone is mentally and emotionally ready to admit why they overeat/don't exercise enough, and to embrace the solution. Getting people to this point so that they can engage with the solutions and lose weight is the hard bit and the bit we're not doing. I'm no expert by any means but would employing a psychologists/behavioural therapist/counsellor be an option? Most people I know with weight problems yoyo and struggle to maintain weight loss because they never have support to address the underlying issue of why they're overweight in the first place?

Sponsor free swimming sessions at the local baths

There's too many places to start.

Media and image representation.
Eating and emotions.
Nutritional advice (far more complex than eat fresh, it's about looking at meat content vs price, cooking gas/ electric costs vs instant cheap food with high salt and sugar).
Supermarket pricing and special offers (for instance, I buy 3 bags of quorn chicken style nuggets for £5 which does 6 meals fairly quickly after late night after school clubs, swimming lessons, or friends round after school, served with peas, broccoli and sweetcorn).

I don't think you should give people money.

Or....adress the 'treat' culture that's out of control.

Hi Creampie

Re money prize - you cannot be serious - so many ethical problems with that where would one start...

How about (Nordic) walking classes - at least something that improves fitness as well as weight reduction, with the camaraderie which is important - might improve mental health too.

Counselling.

Any other option won't work, they will regain the weight and more.

Offer free counselling to address the issues around their food and exercise choices.

TBH Im never sure whether these threads are real or not

They can literally propose any ideas they like, including offering it as a cash prize to the person losing the most weight.

Coz I would be pretty fucked off if my NI contributions were used as a cash prize for someone to spend willy nilly on holidays/fast food/fast women/toy boys when NI contribs are supposed to support the NHS

Counsellors to gently undo emotional issues, depression etc.
Cooking classes for the basics.
Free gym membership, bootcamp classes etc.