Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN)

BACKGROUND

Obesity in Scotland has reached epidemic proportions with around two thirds of adults and one third of children being overweight or obese. Prevalence is increasing and the impact of obesity on physical and mental well-being is now
recognised at a national level.

WHY WE NEED A GUIDELINE

This guideline updates and supersedes the previous SIGN guidelines on obesity and brings the prevention and treatment of obesity in adults, children and young people into one document.

The urgent need to tackle the obesity epidemic through development of NHS services across Scotland will be guided by the evidence based recommendations for practice in lifestyle approaches and the use of pharmacological and surgical interventions.

THE CHALLENGE FOR HEALTHCARE PRACTITIONERS

Due to the large numbers of individuals affected by obesity, effective targeting of interventions for those with elevated health risks who may benefit most,
represents a major challenge.

REMIT

This guideline provides evidence based recommendations on the prevention and treatment of obesity within the clinical setting, in children, young people and adults.

The focus of prevention is on primary prevention, defined here as intervention when individuals are at a healthy weight and/or overweight, to prevent
or delay the onset of obesity.

The guideline addresses:

primary prevention of obesity in children, young people and adults
treatment of overweight/obesity by diet and lifestyle interventions
treatment of obesity by drugs and bariatric surgery
prevention of weight regain following treatment.

TARGET USERS OF THE GUIDELINE

This guideline will be of particular interest to those working in primary, secondary and tertiary NHS weight management services and those involved in management of services for long term conditions especially diabetes and cardiovascular disease. It will help provide direction for planning at local and national levels and will also be of interest to voluntary sector and commercial weight loss organisations, to patients and the general public.