Guidance

Update information

Update information

July 2023: We have reviewed the evidence and made new recommendations on bariatric surgery for people living with overweight and obesity. These recommendations are marked [2023].

We have also made some changes without an evidence review. We have:

  • clarified the expedited assessment criteria for people with diabetes

  • added conception and pregnancy to the points for the surgeon to discuss with people thinking about surgery

  • clarified the information to give people about dietary intake and support after surgery

  • moved the information on bariatric surgery for people with recent-onset type 2 diabetes into the main bariatric surgery section.

These recommendations are marked [2006, amended 2023] or [2014, amended 2023].

All other recommendations last had an evidence review in the year given at the end of the recommendation. In some cases, minor changes have been made to the wording to bring the language and style up to date, without changing the meaning.

Recommendations for research marked [2014] were developed for the original publication of this guideline and those marked [2013] were developed for NICE guideline PH46. They have not been revised as part of the 2022 or 2023 updates of this guideline, but will be reviewed as part of the forthcoming update of all NICE's weight management guidance. See the full guideline for more details of the 2014 recommendations for research.

September 2022: This guideline updates the recommendations on identification and classification of overweight and obesity from this guideline and NICE guideline PH46. Recommendations from other sections of this guideline will be updated at a later stage.

Recommendations are marked [2022] if the evidence has been reviewed.

We also made some changes without an evidence review to clarify the information adults should be given about their health risks and to bring the advice about using treatments into line with the new recommendations on identification. These recommendations are marked [2006, amended 2022].

All other recommendations last had an evidence review in the year given at the end of the recommendation. In some cases, minor changes have been made to the wording to bring the language and style up to date, without changing the meaning.

Recommendations for research marked [2014] were developed for the original publication of this guideline and those marked [2013] were developed for NICE guideline PH46. They have not been revised as part of the 2022 update of this guideline, but will be reviewed as part of the forthcoming update of all NICE's weight management guidance. See the full guideline for more details of the 2014 recommendations for research.

November 2014: This guideline updated and replaced section 1.2 of the NICE guideline on obesity prevention (published December 2006). We reviewed the evidence in section 1.2 of that guideline and made new recommendations on very-low-calorie diets for adults, bariatric surgery for people with recent-onset type 2 diabetes, and follow up care after bariatric surgery. These recommendations are marked [2014].

We also made some changes without an evidence review to:

  • reflect changes to national core standards and service organisation, how blood glucose is measured, the definition of a very-low-calorie diet, use of BMI and z-scores, and current practice to ensure safe prescribing

  • better reflect the needs of people with learning disabilities

  • improve alignment between recommendations for adults and children

  • include cross references to the NICE guideline on waist circumference, the 'Weight Wise' campaign, the NHS eat well webpage, and the National Bariatric Surgery Registry

  • remove 'life-threatening' and examples of severe life-threatening comorbidities, because they were considered by the Guideline Development Group to be unhelpful in clinical practice

  • remove reference to sibutramine because marketing authorisation has been suspended for this drug

  • highlight that the use of orlistat in children and young people is outside its marketing authorisation.

These recommendations are marked [2006, amended 2014].

Recommendations marked [2006] last had an evidence review in 2006. In some cases, minor changes have been made to the wording to bring the language and style up to date, without changing the meaning.

Minor changes since publication

April 2023: We updated the section on pharmacological interventions to include recommendations from NICE technology appraisal guidance on liraglutide, semaglutide and naltrexone–bupropion.

February 2021: We updated the information on amounts of exercise in recommendations 1.6.1 and 1.6.4 in line with the 2019 UK Chief Medical Officers' physical activity guidelines.

ISBN: 978-1-4731-5285-4