A 12 month weight loss programme would be cost effective for NHS, study finds

GPs should refer overweight or obese adults to weight loss programmes for 12 months rather than the standard three months, researchers have recommended.1

A study published in the Lancet reported that people referred to 52 week weight loss programmes lost more weight and experienced more clinical benefits than people who followed a 12 week programme or used self help materials.

Although a 52 week behavioural programme would be more expensive than the standard three months offered through the NHS, the study found that improvements in quality of life would be cost effective in the long term. …