Obesity (Hansard, 15 January 2004)

§ Earl Howe
asked Her Majesty's Government:
What steps the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition intends to take to review the nutritional science relating to obesity. [HL695]

§ Lord Warner
The Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN) discussed its forward work plan in September 2003. Various topics, including obesity, were discussed. A general summary of the committee's discussions and a formal work plan will be placed on the SACN website following the next committee meeting in February 2004.

§ Earl Howe
asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether the National Institute for Clinical Excellence and the Health Development Agency have taken into account the full range of weight management and reduction options in their respective recent reviews of literature and other evidence in this area; and what dialogue these bodies have recently had with the Obesity Awareness and Solutions Trust. [H L697]

§ Lord Warner
The Health Development Agency (HDA) has indeed taken into account the full range of weight management and reduction options in its recent review of the literature in this area. Both the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) and the HDA follow an open and transparent methodology where high quality evidence is extensively gathered in order to assess the effectiveness of interventions.
A transparent and open approach will be taken during the development of the joint NICE/HDA guideline on obesity, referred to them by the Department of Health and the Welsh Assembly. It would therefore be inappropriate for either agency to have dialogue with any individual organisation. NICE/HDA expects to be consulting on the scope (exactly what the guideline will and will not cover) for this guideline from 27 January-24 February 2004. All interested parties are encouraged to register as stakeholders on the NICE website by 23 January 2004 in order that they may fully contribute towards the development of the guideline. The Obesity Awareness and Solutions Trust has registered as such a stakeholder and will therefore have an opportunity to engage with this process at that stage.