RESEARCHERS from Coventry University are calling for health professionals to improve how they talk to patients about losing weight.
A study has found hundreds of patients have experienced feeling negative after talking to a professional about their body weight.

Looking at people who live with idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH) – a condition which sees a build-up of fluid in the brain and puts pressure on nerves in the back of the eye causing vision problems and headaches.

Around 90 per cent of people living with IIH are overweight and sustained weight loss is recommended for long-term remission of the disease.

The study is in collaboration with IIH UK – a charity for people with the condition – found the majority of the 625 participants had negative or unhelpful comments.

Patients said they were told to lose at least 10 per cent of their body weight in a few months and no support was given.

The study found that only 22 per cent of those who took part were offered weight management support and only 16 per cent of those felt the support was helpful.