Overweight patients should be weighed every year so doctors can monitor them, says NHS watchdog
18 March 2025, 09:09
Overweight patients should be weighed every year so doctors can keep an eye on them, the NHS watchdog says.
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New draft guidance from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence calls for the NHS to keep a closer eye on the waistlines of unhealthy Brits.
The guidance suggests those with long-term conditions, such as heart failure, learning disabilities, diabetes and Rheumatoid arthritis, have their BMI officially updated once per year.
Professor Jonathan Benger, deputy chief executive and chief medical officer at Nice, said: "These simple annual measurements create opportunities for early intervention and conversations about long-term health and wellbeing.
"By identifying trends before they become problems, clinical practitioners can help people prevent more serious health complications down the line.
"Annual monitoring of BMI and waist-to-height ratio is a powerful tool to help prevent problems developing such as the onset of diabetes, heart disease or other obesity-related conditions.
"Once implemented, these proposed quality standards could significantly improve health outcomes for people with long-term conditions by ensuring consistent, timely support for weight management across all healthcare settings."
Obesity rates have soared across the UK since the 1990s, putting ever-increasing pressure on the NHS.
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A decision on the draft guidance is set to be made by August.
Dr Rebecca Payne, GP and chair of the quality standards advisory committee, added: "We want to hear from healthcare professionals and commissioners during the consultation period to understand whether the proposals we have made can be implemented in the NHS.
"Nice must focus on what matters most and in areas where it can make the biggest difference.
"We expect these changes to demonstrate the impact we are having on the lives of people with weight-related conditions."
While the document does not give a definitive list of conditions, it suggests a focus on patients with:
- - Heart failure
- - Learning disabilities
- - Type 1 or type 2 diabetes, or those at risk of developing type 2 diabetes
- - Rheumatoid arthritis
- - Polycystic ovary syndrome
- - Stroke
- - Obstructive sleep apnoea
- - The lung condition chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
- - Dyslipidaemia, or abnormal levels of fats in the blood
- - Peripheral arterial disease, or a build up of fatty deposits in the arteries
- - Schizophrenia, bipolar disorder or other psychoses
