The United Kingdom’s obesity epidemic requires a national and concerted response similar to that which has developed in the past 50 years to tackle smoking, doctors have said.1

A working party from the Royal College of Physicians has said that every hospital trust should have a lead doctor on obesity to work with commissioning groups, be a source of information for patients, and act as a link between the hospital and the community.

And there should be a national lead on obesity to drive a coordinated government strategy within and across departments, including health, the Treasury, education, agriculture, work and pensions, and local government, said the working party’s report.

With …