DOCTORS have been warned not to blame obese patients for being fat, under new health guidelines in the UK.

The Telegraph reports that the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) wants doctors to refer obese patients to "lifestyle weight management" programs like WeightWatchers, but only if the schemes can change their behaviour for good rather than provide a "quick fix".

These people should be "respectful and non-blaming" in order to "minimise harm", it said.

They should also explain to patients "how much motivation and commitment" is needed to complete weight management schemes and that enrolling on one will not be a "magic bullet".

About a quarter of adults in England are classes as obese, and a further 41 per cent of men and 33 per cent of women are overweight.

Obesity is estimated to cost the the UK's NHS about 5.1 billion pounds each year.

Nice has previously asked doctors to avoid using the word "obese" because it can be a derogatory term.

"I think [the issue] is the wording. Doctors have not got to be patronising, but they have got to form their words very carefully in order to not alienate patients," Tam Fry of the National Obesity Forum told the Telegraph. "Doctors are terrible at bringing up the subject of weight because it is such a sensitive issue with patients...but once the doctor has got the confidence of a patient, then their duty is to start to toughen it up and explain what the consequences are."



