{"id":12497,"date":"2025-05-27T11:26:22","date_gmt":"2025-05-27T11:26:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.healthnews.ie\/?p=12497"},"modified":"2025-06-30T07:40:37","modified_gmt":"2025-06-30T07:40:37","slug":"ireland-rethinks-obesity-through-policy-prevention-and-patient-care","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.healthnews.ie\/chronic-conditions\/ireland-rethinks-obesity-through-policy-prevention-and-patient-care\/","title":{"rendered":"Ireland rethinks obesity through policy, prevention and patient care"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center has-medium-font-size\">This article has been paid for and developed <br>by Lilly Ireland<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"has-text-align-right has-small-font-size\">PP-OB-IE-0002 May 2025<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"background-color:#f2f2f2;color:#32373c\" class=\"wp-block-atomic-blocks-ab-profile-box round ab-has-avatar ab-font-size-14 ab-block-profile ab-profile-columns\"><div class=\"ab-profile-column ab-profile-avatar-wrap\"><div class=\"ab-profile-image-wrap\"><figure class=\"ab-profile-image-square\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"400\" height=\"400\" class=\"ab-profile-avatar wp-image-12498\" src=\"https:\/\/s3.eu-north-1.amazonaws.com\/cdn-site.mediaplanet.com\/app\/uploads\/sites\/94\/2025\/05\/27111319\/vicky-1748344399-KEA-photo-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/s3.eu-north-1.amazonaws.com\/cdn-site.mediaplanet.com\/app\/uploads\/sites\/94\/2025\/05\/27111319\/vicky-1748344399-KEA-photo-1.jpg 400w, https:\/\/s3.eu-north-1.amazonaws.com\/cdn-site.mediaplanet.com\/app\/uploads\/sites\/94\/2025\/05\/27111319\/vicky-1748344399-KEA-photo-1-125x125.jpg 125w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\" \/><\/figure><\/div><\/div><div class=\"ab-profile-column ab-profile-content-wrap\"><h2 class=\"ab-profile-name\" style=\"color:#32373c\">Khalil Asmar<\/h2><p class=\"ab-profile-title\" style=\"color:#32373c\">Head of Diabetes &amp; Obesity for Northern Europe, Lilly<\/p><div class=\"ab-profile-text\"><\/div><ul class=\"ab-social-links\"><\/ul><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"background-color:#f2f2f2;color:#32373c\" class=\"wp-block-atomic-blocks-ab-profile-box round ab-has-avatar ab-font-size-14 ab-block-profile ab-profile-columns\"><div class=\"ab-profile-column ab-profile-avatar-wrap\"><div class=\"ab-profile-image-wrap\"><figure class=\"ab-profile-image-square\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"400\" height=\"400\" class=\"ab-profile-avatar wp-image-12499\" src=\"https:\/\/s3.eu-north-1.amazonaws.com\/cdn-site.mediaplanet.com\/app\/uploads\/sites\/94\/2025\/05\/27111440\/vicky-1748344480-Image-2.jpg\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/s3.eu-north-1.amazonaws.com\/cdn-site.mediaplanet.com\/app\/uploads\/sites\/94\/2025\/05\/27111440\/vicky-1748344480-Image-2.jpg 400w, https:\/\/s3.eu-north-1.amazonaws.com\/cdn-site.mediaplanet.com\/app\/uploads\/sites\/94\/2025\/05\/27111440\/vicky-1748344480-Image-2-125x125.jpg 125w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\" \/><\/figure><\/div><\/div><div class=\"ab-profile-column ab-profile-content-wrap\"><h2 class=\"ab-profile-name\" style=\"color:#32373c\">Dermot McNamara<\/h2><p class=\"ab-profile-title\" style=\"color:#32373c\">Country Lead &amp; Commercial Manager for Ireland, Lilly<\/p><div class=\"ab-profile-text\"><\/div><ul class=\"ab-social-links\"><\/ul><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Ireland has one of the highest rates of obesity in Europe. Living with obesity increases the risk of chronic diseases, such as heart disease and type 2 diabetes, causing concern across healthcare.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p>The increase in the number of people living with obesity, both in Ireland and globally, impacts the economy as well. Despite the challenges of obesity being widely acknowledged, this chronic, progressive disease doesn\u2019t receive the same level of diagnosis, medical care or policy attention as other long-term conditions, leaving those affected with limited support.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-obesity-risk-factors-and-complexity\"><strong>Obesity risk factors and complexity<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Obesity is Ireland\u2019s slowly unfolding health crisis. Yet, obesity \u2014 defined by the World Health Organization as abnormal or excessive fat accumulation that presents a risk to health and a body mass index (BMI) equal to or greater than 30 \u2014 is still seen by many as the result of individual choice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cObesity is a complex condition,\u201d says Khalil Asmar, Head of Diabetes and Obesity for Northern Europe at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.lilly.com\/ie\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Lilly<\/a>. \u201cDespite all efforts, people with obesity can find weight loss difficult to achieve and maintain. This is influenced by multiple factors: biological, genetic, behavioural, environmental, social and cultural.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-promoting-obesity-prevention-in-ireland\"><strong>Promoting obesity prevention in Ireland<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The Government and Health Service Executive have focused on prevention, through the \u2018A Healthy Weight for Ireland \u2013 Obesity Policy and Action Plan 2016\u20132025.\u2019 This approach aims to help people achieve better health through community-based health promotion programmes, training and enhanced detection and referrals at the primary care level. However, these measures are yet to have the desired impact, and don\u2019t support those already living with obesity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Solving the obesity crisis begins with tackling some misguided views. \u201cA lot of people think, just eat less and do more exercise,\u201d says Asmar. \u201cWithin both the Government and the healthcare system, many don\u2019t see obesity as a complex condition and view it as a result of personal choices and personal responsibility. We need to reframe this &nbsp;narrative.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Changing public attitudes and addressing the shame and stigma faced by people living with obesity is imperative. \u201cWe don\u2019t want people living with obesity to be blamed,\u201d shares Dermot McNamara, Country Lead and Commercial Manager for Ireland at Lilly. \u201cSome feel shame around their weight and don\u2019t seek help. They need to feel confident that they can engage with healthcare providers and be offered options for support,\u201d he adds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>We don\u2019t want people living <br>with obesity to be blamed.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-clinical-guidelines-on-obesity-management\"><strong>Clinical guidelines on obesity management<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Supporting the 21% of adults in Ireland suffering from obesity is essential to reduce pressure on the healthcare system and boost economic productivity. However, access to evidence-informed care \u2014 whether medical, support with physical activity or psychological interventions \u2014 can be challenging due to limited capacity and long waiting lists.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Clinical Practice Guidelines highlight the need to shift the focus of obesity management toward <a href=\"https:\/\/www.lilly.com\/ie\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">improving patient-centred health outcomes<\/a> and social and economic participation rather than weight loss alone. This can be best achieved by resourcing and fully implementing the Model of Care for the Management of Adult Overweight and Obesity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cObesity can lead to health complications and lower quality of life,\u201d says Asmar. \u201cPeople living with obesity deserve comprehensive care, in the same way that care would be provided for other chronic conditions.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-holistic-obesity-care-is-needed\"><strong>Holistic obesity care is needed<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Lilly is calling for the Government to implement a holistic strategy that encompasses prevention, education, and adequate services for people who are already overweight or have obesity. \u201cPeople living with obesity need a core level of support from doctors,\u201d says McNamara. \u201cWe need more education for healthcare professionals on how to talk about weight with patients in an empathetic and constructive way. We need to reframe the narrative around obesity. It isn\u2019t an individual problem; it\u2019s a societal problem.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Collaboration is essential to achieve this. Government, healthcare professionals and non-governmental organisations must work together to deliver better healthcare outcomes for those living with obesity today and prevent future generations from suffering from obesity. If they\u2019re successful, Ireland could have a healthier future.<\/p>\n\n\n<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC \"-\/\/W3C\/\/DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional\/\/EN\" \"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/TR\/REC-html40\/loose.dtd\">\n<html><body><div style=\"text-align:center\" class=\"wp-block-atomic-blocks-ab-button ab-block-button\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.lilly.com\/ie\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" class=\"ab-button ab-button-shape-rounded ab-button-size-medium fb-pixel\" style=\"color:#ffffff;background-color:#cb2320\">Learn more about Lilly<\/a><\/div>\n<\/body><\/html>\n\n\n\n<p><a id=\"_msocom_1\"><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>This article has been paid for and developed by Lilly Ireland PP-OB-IE-0002 May 2025 Ireland has one of the highest rates of obesity in Europe. Living with obesity increases the risk of chronic diseases, such as heart disease and type 2 diabetes, causing concern across healthcare. The increase in the number of people living with &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.healthnews.ie\/chronic-conditions\/ireland-rethinks-obesity-through-policy-prevention-and-patient-care\/\">Continued<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":91,"featured_media":12500,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[5977],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-12497","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-chronic-conditions"],"acf":[],"featured_image_src":"https:\/\/s3.eu-north-1.amazonaws.com\/cdn-site.mediaplanet.com\/app\/uploads\/sites\/94\/2025\/05\/27112402\/vicky-1748345040-AdobeStock_709755413-600x400.jpg","featured_image_src_square":"https:\/\/s3.eu-north-1.amazonaws.com\/cdn-site.mediaplanet.com\/app\/uploads\/sites\/94\/2025\/05\/27112402\/vicky-1748345040-AdobeStock_709755413-600x600.jpg","author_info":{"display_name":"henryphillips","author_link":"https:\/\/www.healthnews.ie\/author\/henryphillips\/"},"vicky_index_order":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.healthnews.ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12497","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.healthnews.ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.healthnews.ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.healthnews.ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/91"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.healthnews.ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12497"}],"version-history":[{"count":11,"href":"https:\/\/www.healthnews.ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12497\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":12615,"href":"https:\/\/www.healthnews.ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12497\/revisions\/12615"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.healthnews.ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/12500"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.healthnews.ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12497"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.healthnews.ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=12497"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.healthnews.ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=12497"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}