Obesity is an inequality issue. People living in poverty are more likely to suffer from obesity and its consequences than those with higher incomes.
The 2018 Health Survey for England found that in the least deprived areas 20% of adults were living with obesity, compared to 36% of adults living in the most deprived areas. Unchecked, that gap will widen.
The Government’s new obesity strategy commits to expanding weight management services, with further detail promised later this year. However, given increasing evidence indicating people with obesity experience worse outcomes from COVID-19, and links between the condition and deprivation, do we need to see a more holistic approach, combining prevention and treatment, to improve health outcomes for all?
Chair:
Ross Lydall, Health Editor, the Evening Standard
Panelists:
Cllr Paulette Hamilton, Cabinet Member for Health and Social Care, Birmingham City Council & Vice Chair of the Community Wellbeing Board, LGA
Scott Corfe, Research Director, Social Market Foundation
Avideh Nazeri, Director of Clinical, Medical & Regulatory Affairs, Novo Nordisk
| Novo Nordisk has provided sponsorship to the Social Market Foundation (SMF) to fund this panel event and has sponsored an agenda presentation. |  |