Obesity has not, until very recently, featured very strongly in medical training. There has been a widespread view that becoming overweight is a sign of a weak personality, a combination of gluttony and apparent sloth, accompanied very often by a degree of mendacity. For this reason, medical practitioners are often reluctant to become involved in obesity and weight management.
The second edition of this popular handbook provides an up-to-date background on obesity and an understanding of weight management for health professionals and offers outlines for management plans which can be instituted at a primary care level.