Obesity



A very recent report of a working party of the Royal College of Physicians entitled "Action on obesity: Comprehensive care for all" has broken ranks with current medical practice and directed attention to obesity as a primary cause of ill health and shortened human lifespan. The report has pointed out that there is an urgent need for a complete change in current medical practice among medical professionals and indicated the importance of addressing the matter directly in a much more scientific and professional matter. It is the prime cause of several diseases that already affect a very large part of the world's human population.

It may be difficult to appreciate that only fifty years ago statistics were unavailable on obesity since it was not an issue of concern. However, with the ever increasing growth and spread of the Standard American Diet (SAD) around the world this has begun to threaten human health on the global scale. Urgent action is now required on many fronts to counteract the spread of the SAD diet.

People will also need help to manage and recover from the impact that this diet has already had and return them to a healthy diet. Such action will help to prevent the development of a range of related diseases and illnesses which otherwise have the potential to threaten their health and happiness.

Furthermore, the reason given by the Royal College for undertaking this revolutionary study of obesity is due to the current general lack of concerted action on this topic by medical professionals generally and especially by their administrators that are responsible for managing the health service.

This will require a culture change in professional attitudes to obesity and a much wider recognition of its importance and its health implications across the whole medical profession that will most probably take time and additional expensive resources to introduce and implement within the current medical infrastructure.

Unfortunately, the working party report does not provide adequate information and access to the necessary expert advice and detailed information that will also be required to help and enable people to adopt a healthy diet to counteract obesity. This vital aspect is unlikely to lie within their normal range of professional skills.

In the meantime, however, effort urgently needs to be made to ensure that as many people as possible have access to and help in obtaining the best possible advice, thus enabling them to manage their own diet and ensure recognition of the causes of obesity and its prevention and treatment by dietary changes.

To see the original report visit: http://www.rcplondon.ac.uk/sites/default/files/action-on-obesity.pdf

Other links

  • http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-21635696