Parents are ignoring obesity warnings

Daily Mail

Bristol researchers have found that the majority of families receiving letters offering them the chance to discuss their children’s significant overweight with a GP, failed to take it up.  Only 47% consulted their GP and barely 15% who did ended up with any record of their child's weight in the GP’s notes.  As well as parents finding it difficult to seek help from a health professional GPs also seemed reluctant to deal with an often embarrassing issue.  [British Journal of General  Practice

Professor David Haslam, NOF chairman, believes that the research showed that better ways were necessary to motivate children and adults with weight problems into shedding the pounds.   Sending letters to parents  is a waste of time. It’s the duty of the healthcare professional, doctor or nurse, when they see a patient whose weight is putting their health at risk to seize the moment – the children’s lives could be at stake.

[see also 20th July 2011]