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DPP takes on obesity

When you think about being slimmer and healthier do you think of feeling more energetic, looking good in clothes, living longer, or do you think of hard work, being deprived and never being able to eat the nice things you like again? Which picture is more likely to get you started on a healthier lifestyle and keep you there?

These are the questions posed to readers of the new Want to Lose Weight? booklet from health education charity, DPP:Developing Patient Partnerships. The new resource for GP surgeries encourages readers to think about their motivation for losing weight and work out how they can fit small changes into their everyday lives both at home and at work.

Commenting on the campaign DPP spokesperson Dr Beth McCarron-Nash said

" This is a fantastic resource for GP surgeries to make available to their patients. Obesity has a major impact on practice workload and something as motivational and appealing as the Want to Lose Weight? booklet is guaranteed to be really popular with patients who need to lose weight."

The booklet and poster which feature practical steps to improve diet and exercise were developed in consultation with end users. Here’s what testers of the materials had to say:

• It’s great for showing simple things that you can do without thinking about it too much

(Focus group tester – Male)

• It would make me think that if my employer had this sort of information it would make staff happier……..then everyone would be happy and healthier at work

(Focus group tester – Male)

• The way it says ‘small steps can have big effects’ made me want to read it, but other things I’ve seen look more difficult so I don’t want to read those, it’s eye catching as well.

(Focus group tester – Female)

For further information, please contact:
Rachel Dorban 020 7383 6780 rdorban@bma.org.uk
Pamela Prentice 020 7383 6144 pprentice@bma.org.uk

Notes for editors

• DPP: Developing Patient Partnerships (formerly Doctor Patient Partnership) is a health education charity working with primary care organisations, businesses and the public www.dpp.org.uk

• Visit www.dpphealthatwork.org.uk to listen to a sample of our new audio health education series ‘Managing Stress at Home and at Work‘. For further information contact dpp@bma.org.uk or contact Alison Pettifer on 020 7383 6715