Guidelines to help address increased obesity

Guidelines to help address increased obesity prevalence in NZ

The Ministry of Health today released the implementation plan for clinical guidelines which frontline health care workers can use when helping patients achieve and maintain a healthy weight.

Ministry Chief Advisor Dr Ashley Bloomfield said the implementation plan, Implementing the Clinical Guidelines for Weight Management in New Zealand 2010/11, outlines activities that are being developed to support frontline health care workers in primary care and community settings who provide healthy weight management advice and treatment to patients and consumers.

“The goals for this current financial year are to encourage and support frontline health care workers to increasingly implement the Guidelines, and to encourage consumers to act and seek assistance more often,” he said.

“We acknowledge that many working in the area of weight management are busy, and are already successfully implementing the strategies and activities outlined in the plan. Our aim is to support the sector to do more,” Dr Bloomfield said.

Obesity rates have been rising in New Zealand since the 1990s. Obesity, which is a major risk factor for many chronic diseases, is more prevalent amongst Maori, Pacific and South Asian communities.

The Guidelines outline a four-step approach which frontline health care workers can use when helping patients achieve and maintain a healthy weight:

1. raise awareness

2. identify need and the context for action

3. determine options for action [Food, Activity and Behaviour (FAB) strategies]

4. maintain contact and support.

The Guidelines and the Implementation Plan are available on the Ministry of Health website:

http://www.moh.govt.nz/moh.nsf/indexmh/clinical-guidelines-for-weight-management-in-nz-adults

http://www.moh.govt.nz/moh.nsf/indexmh/clinical-guidelines-for-weight-management-in-nz-children-and-young-people

http://www.moh.govt.nz/moh.nsf/indexmh/implementing-the-clinical-guidelines-for-weight-management-in-nz-2010-11

Future communications, including the e-learning tool, will be available on the weight management website:http://weightmanagement.hiirc.org.nz.

ENDS

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