Table 2 Recommendations to support people living with obesity.

From: Lessons learned from the lived experiences of people living with obesity during the first COVID-19 lockdown in the United Kingdom

Reframe health messages

Policymakers should reframe health messages from using fear and scare tactics and move towards approaches like hope messaging, which has been proven to foster positive motivation for behavioural change [29, 40].

Avoid stigmatising language

It is crucial to avoid stigmatising language when referring to people living with obesity to mitigate public shame and weight stigma.

Leverage digital health technology

Adoption of digital health technologies is essential to ensure continuous, scalable, individual-level weight management services.

Improve access to mental health services

Mental health support should be provided alongside weight management services to address the holistic needs of people living with obesity, especially in times of unprecedented crises such as a worldwide pandemic.

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