Official Statistics

Adult tier 2 weight management services: short statistical commentary January 2022

Published 27 January 2022

Applies to England

Adult tier 2 behavioural weight management services provisional data for quarter 1 and quarter 2 of the 2021 to 2022 financial year (experimental statistics): short statistical commentary January 2022.

1. Introduction

In March 2021, the government announced an additional £100 million of funding over the 2021 to 2022 financial year to support people living with excess weight and obesity to lose weight and maintain healthier lifestyles.

The adult weight management services grant (number 31/5440) distributed £30.5 million of this new funding between all local authorities in England who accepted the grant, to support the expansion of adult tier 2 behavioural weight management services commissioned by local authorities. This is part of a place-based whole systems approach to tackling obesity and promoting a healthier weight.

In order to understand the impact of this investment, any local authority in receipt of this grant funding must ensure all commissioned service providers collect data on all participants and their progress and return a minimum data set to the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID). This is a condition of the grant.

2. Interpreting the data

This report includes data for quarter 1 and quarter 2 of the 2021 to 2022 financial year which was submitted by 31 December 2021. Services were still being commissioned and set up during this period, as such data for some local authorities will not be available. We also expect further data to be retrospectively submitted for these time periods. Therefore, all figures in this report are provisional and are likely to be lower than when all data for 2021 to 22 has been submitted. In some instances, no data is available for a local authority as some service providers have not yet submitted data.

In addition, some data has been submitted for services funded by the existing public health grant or where the funding stream is unknown. Therefore, the findings in this report are not restricted to services funded by the new grant (number 31/5440). Table 1 in the published data shows the counts of participants by funding stream.

3. Main findings

Tables show counts of participants in adult tier 2 weight management by variables such as:

  • demographic characteristics
  • socioeconomic status
  • health status
  • referral source
  • type of weight management intervention
  • commissioning local authority

Data is also presented for the following measures:

  • percentage of referrals which lead to enrolments
  • percentage of individuals subsequently enrolled in a weight management services from high risk groups

4. Summary

The data tables show counts of participants in adult tier 2 weight management services in England split by:

  • age
  • sex
  • ethnic group
  • sexual orientation
  • religion
  • local authority and region
  • employment status
  • Index of Multiple Deprivation decile of residence

Tables are also included that show counts of participants by stated disabilities and co-morbidities as well as the type of weight management intervention. These variables have been included in the data collection to help assess access to services from high risk groups.

The data tables cover the period from April to June 2021 (quarter 1) and July to September 2021 (quarter 2). Additional quarters of data will be published routinely. Previously published data may be updated as new data is retrospectively submitted.

Further breakdowns will be possible as more data is collected, such as more detailed data by local authority and body mass index classification. Information will also be included in later publications on weight loss during the weight management service and maintenance of that weight loss when the service has finished. This will be available for different population groups and weight management intervention types.

At this stage the data is provisional and published as experimental statistics. OHID is seeking feedback on the data tables from users and stakeholders to improve the quality and useability of the data. We welcome any feedback via adults-weight-management-data@phe.gov.uk.

5. Background

Further information about this publication and the data used:

Responsible statisticians, product leads: Caroline Hancock, Rory Bott

For queries or comments relating to this document and accompanying data tables, please contact: adults-weight-management-data@phe.gov.uk