The BMA is delighted to invite you to the launch event of a new position statement on the treatment of overweight and obesity in England, which we are co-hosting with the Obesity Health Alliance.
The BMA is proud to be one of the 60 members of this alliance of health charities and medical royal colleges that make-up the Obesity Health Alliance, which coordinates the third sector to make concrete policy asks of policymakers to reduce the UK's high levels of overweight and obesity. More information about the OHA is available here.
We know that recent approvals of novel medical therapies for obesity represent a real opportunity for patients living with severe obesity, but their approval has unprecedented financial implications for the NHS and is pushing already overstretch commissioning structures to breaking point. This situation has made action to address longstanding issues across the entire range of overweight and obesity treatment services an unavoidable priority.
We know that many BMA members have raised their concerns about the status of these services and that is why we are pleased to have worked with the OHA to develop tangible recommendations to address the situation.
To support the launch of this document, the OHA is also co-ordinating an open letter from healthcare professionals working in or impacted by overweight and obesity management services to the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care. This letter urges the Secretary of State to adopt tangible policy changes to improve the delivery of overweight and obesity management services in England. The letter will be public, sent to the Secretary of State and with the media.
If you are interested in signing this letter, please follow the link here. Please note that this letter is open to any healthcare professionals working in or directly impacted by overweight and obesity services in England.
Event details
Presenters
Professor David Strain
David Strain
Associate Prof in Cardiometabolic Health
Thematic Research Lead for Health to the UK Parliament
Chair of British Medical Association Board of Science and Academic Staff Committee
Co-Clinical and Academic Lead of Healthcare for Older People department
University of Exeter Medical School, UK
David Strain is an Associate Professor in Cardiometabolic in the Diabetes and Vascular Research Centre at the University of Exeter Medical School, with an expertise in microvascular structure and function. Clinically, he runs a community service for the older adult with diabetes and/or cardiovascular disease, and works as an in-patient consultant
His main focus is improving and preventing metabolic disease in adults; ensuring the right patient gets the right treatment. This includes research exploring the mechanism that some medications, specifically the SGLT-2 inhibitors and GLP-1 analogues, give benefits for people with diabetes, heart disease and renal failure beyond their effect on sugar and blood pressure. The hope is we can identify those who would benefit most before arising. Additionally, he co-lead the “Language Matters in Obesity” work immediately pre-pandemic aiming to address the unprecedented stigma facing people living with obesity.
In September 2024 he was appointed as the inaugural UK Parliamentary Thematic Research Lead for Health working for the Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology. This new role aims to ensure parliamentarians are up to date with the latest medical research when establishing UK policy.
Sarah Le Brocq
Sarah Le Brocq has a unique skillset of living with obesity, a background in science, 16 years’ experience of working in the pharmaceutical industry, alongside the NHS and 6 years’ experience of being a trustee/Director of an obesity charity.
Sarah has recently founded a new obesity organisation called All About Obesity, which is aiming to be the equivalent of Diabetes UK in the obesity space.
‘All About Obesity aims to be the leading obesity organisation for advancing obesity research, supporting and driving public education, a trusted resource for people living with obesity, healthcare professionals and policymakers and a support platform for people living with obesity.’
Sarah is known as a Thought Leader in the Obesity space, has a wide network of relationships with key obesity stakeholders. She is also well known in the media and is regularly called upon to give her thoughts and expertise around current Obesity affairs.
She sits on the strategic council for the All Party Parliamentary Group on Obesity, a stakeholder in NHSE’s new National Obesity Audit, a lay member on the NICE Weight Management Committee, the Digital weight management technologies for specialist weight management services and a representative on the OHA Healthy Weight Strategy, lived experience group.
She has also co-authored a number of published academic papers in scientific journals.
NB: www.allaboutobesity.org
Jack Doughty
Alfie Slade
