Background

The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) has been asked by the Department of Health to develop public health guidance on Obesity - working with local communities.

Guidance to tackle obesity at a local level using a whole system approach was initiated by NICE in 2009. The work was put on hold in November 2010 and reviewed as part of the Government’s obesity strategy work programme. The revised scope has a stronger focus on local, community-wide best practice. It will address both process and outcomes.  The revised scope is available on the NICE website ph42.

Before the development of this guidance was put on hold, the Programme Development Group (PDG) for this work met on four occasions; the PDG considered four evidence reviews and heardtestimony from a number of experts in "whole system" or "community-wide" working.

The PDG is of the view that the evidence they have considered in relation to a whole system approach to prevent obesity provides a foundation for the development of recommendations about community-wide approaches to prevent obesity. For example, the evidence reviews consider issues around capacity building, sustainability, embeddedness and partnerships. However, we would also like to hear stakeholder’s views on this evidence.

Consultation questions

We are particularly interested to hear all registered stakeholder's views on:

1. The implications of the review findings for current and emerging practice at the community-wide level.

2. Whether any evidence has been overlooked, particularly in light of revisions to the scope.

Consultation documents

There are 5 papers for consultation. These are:

• Review 1: Identifying the key elements and interactions of a whole system approach to obesity prevention
• Review 2: The effectiveness of whole system approaches to prevent obesity
• Review 3: Barriers and facilitators to effective whole system approaches
• Review 4: Review of cost effectiveness evidence
• Expert testimony

Supporting papers available for information:

• The draft logic model that the PDG was working to until November 2010.
• A mapping review of national structures, policies and guidance in England to prevent obesity.
• The full versions of the evidence reviews and associated appendices considered by the PDG. The evidence reviews have been edited for consultation to ensure that they are as clear as possible. The reviews were conducted according to the principles set out in Methods for development of NICE public health guidance 2009 (see Methods for development of NICE public health guidance 2009). 

How and when to comment

Please provide all responses to this consultation using the attached Stakeholder Comments Form (ensuring all relevant fields are completed, including your organisation’s full name) and forward this electronically by 5pm on the 22 July at the very latest to the following email address: PreventingObesityCA@nice.org.uk

When completing the comments proforma, please do not use text (i.e. "Page No. 7") in the Page No and Section columns and to only refer to the number (i.e. 7).  This will assist the NICE project team when sorting the comments by page number at the end of the consultation

The Institute is unable to accept

• More than one response per stakeholder organisation
• Comments received after the consultation deadline
• Comments that are not on the correct proforma
• Confidential information or other material that you would not wish to be made public
• Comments forms with attachments such as research articles, letters or leaflets. If comments forms do have attachments they will be returned without being read. If the stakeholder resubmits the form without attachments, it must be by the consultation deadline. PLEASE ALSO SEE THE ASSOCIATED CALL FOR EVIDENCE ON THE NICE WEBSITE: ph42  

What will happen to your comments

• All comments (with the exception of personal, individual comments and late comments) will be sent to the project team at the end of the consultation
• Comments from registered stakeholders will be formally responded to by the project team and posted on the NICE website .
• No action will be taken upon receipt of personal, individual comments and late comments.
• PLEASE NOTE: The Institute reserves the right to summarise and edit comments received during consultations, or not to publish them at all, where in the reasonable opinion of the Institute, the comments are voluminous, publication would be unlawful or publication would be otherwise inappropriate.

For further information on the project, please visit our website here: ph42

Please return consultation responses by 22 July to PreventingObesityCA@nice.org.uk or :

Palida Teelucknavan
Project coordinator, Centre for Public Health Excellence
National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence
Mid City Place, 71 High Holborn,
London, WC1V 6NA

We look forward to receiving your comments and thank you in advance for your help.