Actions for Health and wellbeing boards, local education and training boards, directors of public health and local public health providers, academic health networks and other academic institutions and professional bodies providing training in weight management, diet or physical activity

Local education and training boards and the other groups listed above should ensure health and other relevant professionals are trained to be aware of the health risks of being overweight and obese and the benefits of preventing and managing obesity. This training should include:

• understanding the wider determinants of obesity (such as the impact of the local environment or socioeconomic status)
• understanding the local system in relation to the obesity agenda (such as who the key partners are)
• understanding methods for working with local communities
• knowing the appropriate language to use (referring to achieving or maintaining a 'healthy weight' may be more acceptable than 'preventing obesity' for some communities)
• understanding why it can be difficult for some people to avoid weight gain or to achieve and maintain weight loss
• being aware of strategies people can use to address their weight concerns
• being aware of local services that are likely to be effective in helping people maintain a healthy weight
• being aware of local lifestyle weight management services that follow best practice outlined the obesity pathway.

All of the above should ensure training addresses the barriers some professionals may feel they face when initiating conversations about weight issues. For example, they may be overweight themselves, or feel that broaching the subject might damage their relationship with the person they are advising.

For information for health professionals on training in advice and care for women who may become pregnant, are pregnant or breastfeeding and a healthy weight for pregnancy see the maternal and child nutrition pathway. For information on weight management before, during and after pregnancy see 'Training health professionals' in the diet pathway. 

Actions for local health agencies

Local health agencies should identify appropriate health professionals and ensure that they receive training in:

• the health benefits and the potential effectiveness of interventions to prevent obesity, increase activity levels and improve diet (and reduce energy intake)
• the best practice approaches in delivering such interventions, including tailoring support to meet people's needs over the long term
• the use of motivational and counselling techniques.

Training will need to address barriers to health professionals providing support and advice, particularly concerns about the effectiveness of interventions, people's receptiveness and ability to change and the impact of advice on relationships with patients.

See also using community resources and lay and peer workers to tailor interventions and target communities at high risk of type 2 diabetes in the preventing type 2 diabetes pathway.