Nutritional advice for obesity management and health

Obesity is one of the fastest developing public health problems in the world and is associated with increased risks in morbidity and mortality. Any treatment programme for overweight and obese people should place equal importance on weight reduction and the maintenance of the weight loss. The National Service Framework for Coronary Heart Disease (Department of Health, 2000) identified the vital role of primary care teams in tackling overweight and obesity. The aim of this article is to give a basic overview of some of the issues and principles of weight management in primary care and to ensure nurses are equipped to provide good quality, evidence-based nutritional advice on weight management.