Obesity Debate: A One Size Fits All Approach Doesn’t Fit

The obesity debate and how best to treat the condition has raged on for many years.

With societal trends trivialising it as merely a lifestyle choice, a lack of motivation, and not enough willpower on the part of the person affected, these myths must be broken down to truly understand and make tangible inroads in the fight against obesity.

The team at Onhealth is much more aligned, in the obesity debate, to the view that treatment must be holistic for the individual, taking many different elements into consideration before delivering a physical and mental treatment programme that delivers exceptional results for clients, clients who then keep that weight off in a sustainable manner.

As part of a discussion article, Michael Crotty, GP specialising in bariatric/obesity medicine, said: “Obesity has long been misunderstood, trivialised, and stigmatised as a simple ‘lifestyle’ or willpower issue that can be effectively addressed by the mantra of ‘eat-less-move-more’.

“We must shift from primary prevention to early diagnosis, early intervention, and evidence-based treatment.

“Many factors in our “obesogenic” environment further contribute to our risk of obesity: stress, lack of sleep, mental health, medications, physical inactivity, food insecurity, marketing and socioeconomic status to name a few.

“We live in an environment where food is not only cheap and plentiful but ultra-processed, ultra-portioned, and calorie-dense.”

In support of this, and to demonstrate our approach to weight management, Onhealth Clinical Lead Michael Armstrong said: “Dr Crotty’s article supports our view that an ‘off the peg/one size fits all’ approach to weight management may not be suitable for everyone.

“We at Onhealth would echo his view that people living with obesity should be treated without stigma or criticism and that the root causes of weight gain should be assessed, before embarking upon evidence-based interventions.”