Charity to help overweight

Obesity can cause physical and mental health problems

A charity has been launched to help people struggling to cope with weight problems and the discrimination that they face from society.

Weight Concern has been set up by a group of psychologists and nutritionists.

More than one in two British adults are now overweight, and one in five are obese, making Britain one of the heaviest nations in Europe.

Obesity rates are also rising in children, having nearly doubled in the past decade.

It aims to:

• increase public understanding of the causes and consequences of obesity
• promote research into the social and health problems of obesity in children
• promote better advice and treatment services for overweight people
• educate health professionals in the causes and management of obese patients
• support research into the treatment and prevention of obesity
• provide a forum for overweight people to express their views
• speak out on behalf of overweight people against prejudice and discrimination

Being overweight increases the risk of health problems such as diabetes, heart disease and cancer.

It can also cause low self-esteem and depression, partly due to the discrimination and stigmatisation which overweight people often experience.

Some of the greatest difficulties are faced by overweight children.

One study showed that 96% of overweight adolescent girls reported hurtful and humiliating comments and derogatory names.

Prejudice

There is also research suggesting that many health professionals, including doctors, dieticians and nurses, share the 'anti-fat' prejudices, which stem from the widespread, but invalid, perception that overweight people could control their weight, if only they were sufficiently motivated.

Professor Jane Wardle, one of the founder members of the charity, said: "I came to realise the importance of these issues as a result of working with overweight people.

"I met many people who were desperate about their weight and had faced enormous difficulties in their lives as a consequence of their weight problem.

"We started Weight Concern to help to combat prejudice and discrimination, to work towards providing more effective and accessible services for people with weight problems and to provide a platform for obese people to express their needs".

The frequency of obesity in the UK means that it should now be considered an epidemic

Professor Peter Kopelman

Weight Concern has secured Department of Health funding to develop and evaluate treatment programmes for overweight children.

It will also be evaluating a self-help assessment and treatment guide for overweight adults called Shape-Up.

Professor Peter Kopelman, who runs the obesity clinic at the Royal London Hospital said: "I welcome the launch of Weight Concern with its aim to help those with an established weight problem and its desire to explore methods of prevention for the future.

"The frequency of obesity in the UK means that it should now be considered an epidemic with serious medical consequences that afflict all ages.

"The establishment of the charity is timely and provides an opportunity to improve the health and well-being of many in our society."

Weight Concern can be contacted at Brook House, 2-16 Torrington Place, London WC1E 7HN.