A GP has called on healthcare bosses to step up their efforts to increase public knowledge of the implications of obesity and expressed concern about the effects of sedentary modern lifestyles.
National Obesity Forum chair Dr David Haslam explained that excess weight can increase the risk of developing conditions including liver disease, cancer and diabetes, as well as potentially causing complications during pregnancy.
"I think it is a case of awareness more than anything," he commented. "It is a case of hospital wards being alert to the dangers of excess weight, particularly in maternity wards."
Dr Haslam added that it is particularly easy to put on weight due to the growing role of technology in the workplace and at home, in addition to the proliferation of fatty and sugary foods available in shops.
His remarks came after a study published in the Postgraduate Medical Journal earlier this week revealed many medical provisions currently in place for obese patients are inadequate.
© Adfero Ltd
Obesity treatment news : 29 July 2011
