Australia's Clinical Practice Guidelines for the management of overweight and obesity are undergoing an important update. The previous guidelines, which were first published in 2010, were rescinded in 2018, leaving a significant gap in evidence-based approaches for clinicians treating individuals across the obesity spectrum. The update process is being led by Deakin University, with strong advocacy from The Obesity Collective, which has campaigned for evidence-based, non-stigmatising care options.

The new guidelines will focus on a stepped approach to obesity management, supporting individuals from early intervention through to care for severe obesity. The emphasis is on providing integrated, cost-effective care models and including the lived experiences of people affected by obesity. The inclusion of consumer voices is a significant step forward in developing person-centred care. The guidelines will also promote the importance of a multidisciplinary approach, including medical, psychological, and nutritional support.

This update is seen as a crucial development in improving obesity care in Australia, making it more accessible, compassionate, and aligned with modern understandings of the condition. It aims to shift away from stigmatising language and provide more supportive, long-term solutions for those living with obesity.

As part of the review and revision process, there is an NHMRC requirement to consider feedback on the draft guidelines to ensure guideline quality, legitimacy and acceptability to end users and the public.

Public Consultation is open for one month (from 15 November 2024) and gives key stakeholders (e.g. organisations, health care professionals, community groups, advocates and individual members of the public) the opportunity to provide feedback on the content and useability of the draft Guidelines prior to final submission for approval by the NHMRC. The public consultation period closes on Monday 16th December.

Health Consumers' Council (HCC) will be preparing a submission on the guidelines. To inform this submission, Health Consumers' Council, together with The WELL Collaborative and Weight Issues Network(WIN), are holding a consumer consultation session to gather feedback from those with lived experience which will be used to inform their submission on the guidelines.

We are able to offer consumer payments of $37.50/hour for those living in Western Australia who are attending the session. Unfortunately, as our funding comes from the Western Australian Health Department we are unable to extend consumer payments to participants in other states.

All of the relevant documents on the guidelines can be found here. Should you be unable to make the feedback session but would like to submit your thoughts on the guidelines, you can do so through the survey link which can be found here.

Should you have any queries about the feedback session, please contact Tania Boylen at The WELL Collaborative via email: info@thewellcollaborative.org.au