How this fits in

A previous randomised controlled trial showed that a GP-led 30-second opportunistic referral to a free 12-week community weight loss programme resulted in 40% of patients attending a programme and achieving weight loss at 1 year. However, weight management services have been decommissioned in some areas of the UK leaving GPs with no referral options. In the present study, when GPs deliver the same opportunistic intervention, but offer a referral to a weight loss programme that requires patients to pay for the service themselves, this leads to almost no attendance. Therefore, large-scale public provision of weight-loss programmes is essential to ensure the benefits of opportunistic GP interventions to treat obesity.