Dr Brendan O' Shea: 'One in three adults don't have weighing scales but dreadfully old and unsexy piece of technology is important'

One in four children and three out of four adults in Ireland are overweight or obese.

We recently did a simple study in GP practices with adults.

We found, that one in three of them didn’t even have a weighing scales.

A further one in three had one but did not use it correctly.

In terms of road safety, it would be the same as driving with no regard to speed limits or alcohol levels. It would be unthinkable. But somehow not for overweight….

The best way to determine if you are overweight, and need to act on this, is by use of a dreadfully old and unsexy piece of technology – aka the weighing scales.

Adults can easily calculate their own Body Mass Index (BMI), with their weight, height and an online BMI calculator – you will find an excellent one on www.safefood.ie.

Most people who attend GPs are quite vague about their weight – are you ? Overweight is a ‘modifiable risk factor’ for diabetes, hypertension, depression, arthritis and many types of cancer – so, it would probably be better if you were not vague about it.

You should know, beyond a vague feeling, (‘my clothes don’t fit as well’) if you are or are not overweight.

This is even more important for any children you have any responsibility for, and it also remains important for older people, who will have a tougher time of it, if their weight drifts up as they age. .

We are holding a a “pop up” summer school on improving medical care for people who are overweight on Thursday August 29, between 2-6pm.

Around 100 members of the public are invited to attend free of charge. It will take place at the Royal College of Physicians in Ireland.

Register at www.rcpi.ie for full programme.

The Summer School includes sessions run by People (Patients) and Experts (Clinicians, Scientists, Politicians and Administrators), with opportunity for engagement from the floor, around leading edge evidence on this important (but somewhat unsexy) area of care. What you think about it is important. Health Care professionals find this a challenging area of care, but we are keen to move forwards together on it.

Dr Brendan O’ Shea is a GP in Kildare. He chairs the Clinical Advisory Group at the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland , and lectures on chronic disease management at Trinity College Dublin.

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