Evaluation of Pandemic-associated Changes in BMI and Metabolic Parameters

The NHS has invested in a range of interventions to support weight loss. Such as the NHS England Digital Weight Management Programme (DWMP), which is currently available to help overweight and obese people living with diabetes and/or hypertension manage their weight. This analysis will look at how the number of people meeting the eligibility criteria for the DWMP has changed since the onset of the pandemic through assessing BMI changes in these groups. We will also describe, amongst all adults living in the UK, how BMI and metabolic markers have changed since the onset of the pandemic, in order to assess the need for weight loss interventions in the overall population. We will further investigate whether some groups of people have, since the onset of the pandemic, experienced more weight gain (and resultant increase in BMI) and/or worsening of their metabolic markers than others. These groups will be identified based on personal characteristics (such as age, sex, ethnicity, deprivation and/or region of residence) and whether they have another co-existent medical condition, such as asthma or diabetes. This will demonstrate specific population groups that may most benefit from targeted weight loss interventions.