The government’s focus on supporting weight management is positive in terms of its health benefits.

However, the messaging and the way in which this matter is being approached needs careful attention.

Many individuals who are obese have disordered eating or some will have an eating disorder called Binge Eating Disorder. These difficulties will not be addressed purely by a focus on reducing calories and increasing exercise since the root cause is a combination of a range of psychological factors which require effective psychoeducation and psychological support.

Messaging on calories is extremely negatively impactful for people who have anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa due to their existing problems with exercise misuse and restriction of food.

Terms such as ‘battle against obesity’ promotes that there is a ‘good’ side to weight (thin) and a ‘bad’ side to weight (obesity) and this categorisation causes further discrimination and guilt. ‘Fat talk’ has been noted to contribute to the development of eating disorders in those vulnerable and the current messaging which aims to create anxiety and shame about being obese is not a good motivator for change.

The government should invest in enabling the reduction in pricing of good quality food, more education on healthy preparation of food, and provide more funding of psychological intervention for eating disorders, especially for obesity.