Professor Rachel Batterham and the Royal College of Physicians have developed a documentary on the growing obesity crisis.
In the film, Obesity: England’s most pressing healthcare challenge, Professor Batterham talks with patients and health experts about what action can be taken.
Obesity is one of the biggest public health challenges facing the UK, with a third of the country having no access to obesity treatment. Measures proposed in the film include increased access to dedicated weight management services that people can refer themselves to
The film explores the latest science on how and why people develop obesity and the most recent available treatments. It considers obesity through the lens of health inequalities, how some groups are more affected than others, and how reducing stigma and elevating the patient voice are crucial in tackling the issue.
In the documentary, Professor Rachel Batterham, who is the BRC’s obesity theme lead, said: “Obesity is not simple; it is not due to lack of will power. It is a complex, multi-factorial disease that is driven by health inequalities. People living with obesity deserve evidence-based treatment and empathy for their condition – not stigma.”
