DOCTORS in Swindon were part of a nationwide study that found GPs who had the courage to bring up a patient’s obesity during a consultation were not likely to offend them and could help them lose weight successfully.

The trial, which involved nearly 140 GPs, discovered that a short chat suggesting a place on an NHS-funded weight management course led to many people dropping to a healthier weight.

GPs were asked to try a 30-second intervention even if the patient had not gone to see them about weight.

People with a body mass index of at least 30 were spoken to and 1,882 were offered classes while 942 were offered advice.

A total of 379 finished the course. Their average weight loss over a year was 2.43kg while those offered advice lost 1.04kg.

The study was inspired by trials in the 1970s that showed people were more likely to stop smoking if it was suggested by their family doctor.

Guidelines say GPs should encourage obese patients to lose weight whenever the opportunity arises. But patient surveys show it rarely happens. The reasons GPs report are lack of time, fear of causing offence and the belief that it would be ineffective.

Dr Iain Turnbull, who was a GP in Swindon at Priory Road Medical Centre during the trial, said: “We don’t have the opportunity to talk to them about weight on top of everything else.

“The reality of modern GP practice is that it is a terrifically high-pressured and time-intensive speciality.”

At the same time he said his patients seemed pleased he had brought the issue up.

Dr Peter Swinyard, at the Phoenix Surgery, said: “It is very difficult when you see someone with two failed hips and two failed knees not to say something.”

He said GPs did worry about causing offence but he said: “Of course you raise it – it is part of normal holistic care.

“If it is irrelevant to what they have come in with and they are very short on time, then no, I’m not going to start nagging them about weight.”

His surgery uses the Diet Busters weight loss programme run by the council.

This offers patients who meet criteria including type two diabetes, a BMI of 35 or more and are over 16, a 12-week course of physical activity and healthy eating.