This document summarizes the results of a program evaluation that aimed to increase support services for weight loss among men in several regions in the UK. The results found that: 1) Overweight and obesity rates remain high among men, with almost 7 out of 10 men overweight or obese. 2) The programs engaged men and led to weight loss, but support varied between regions due to differences in resources and infrastructure. 3) There is a lack of effective long-term support systems for weight management among men. Developing sustainable programs long-term remains a challenge without more guidance and coordinated local support networks.

1. Men’s Health Forum
Programme Evaluation
Professor Paul Gately
Leeds Beckett University
MoreLife

2. State of Men’s Health

3. Overweight and obesity among adults
Health Survey for England 2012 to 2014 (three-year average)
3 Patterns and trends in adult obesity
Adult (aged 16+) overweight and obesity: BMI ≥ 25kg/m2
Almost 7 out of 10 men are overweight or obese (66.4%)
Almost 6 out of 10 women are overweight or obese (57.5%)

4. Obesity among adults
Health Survey for England 2012 to 2014 (three-year average)
4 Patterns and trends in adult obesity
Adult (aged 16+) obesity: BMI ≥ 30kg/m2
One out of four men is obese
(24.9%)
One out of four women is obese
(25.2%)

5. Prevalence of severe obesity (BMI >40 kg.m2 ) among
adults aged 16+ years: Health Survey for England 1993-2010
0.0%
0.5%
1.0%
1.5%
2.0%
2.5%
3.0%
3.5%
4.0%
4.5%
1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010
Prevalenceofmorbidobesity
Year of measurement
Men Women

6. Are men getting support?
88%
12%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Women Men
Attendance at slimming clubs
Attendance at slimming clubs
Jebb (2011)

7. A changing landscape

8. Patchy services particularly for Men

9. Methods

10. Context
• Implementation of the How to
Guide…
• Cornwall
• Hounslow
• North Somerset
• Primary aim
• Increase the availability of high
quality weight loss support and
services for men.
• Objectives: achieve:
• Significant and successful increase
in male uptake of weight loss
programmes in target authorities
and to capture lessons learnt from
the implementation in local areas.

11. Data capture
• Provided guidance to local teams to capture
• Attendance and Anthropometric data
• Questionnaires
• Problematic Eating Behaviours
• Quality of Life
• Self Esteem
• Physical Activity
• Qualitative
• Focus groups with programme participants
• Interviews with delivery teams and local stakeholders
• Interview with Men’s Health Forum team

12. Results

13. Results: Attendance & Anthropometrics
NORTH SOMERSET (N=45) CORNWALL (N=2) HOUNSLOW (N=14)
NA 83% 58%
WEIGHT (KG) M (±SD) BMI (KG.M-2) M (±SD)
% 5 %
weight loss
WAIST CIRCUMFERENCE (CM) M
(±SD)
NORTH
SOMERSET
PRE (N=44) POST (N=42) PRE (N=44) POST (N=42) PRE (N=44) POST (N=42)
112.46 (31.13) 111.86 (32.60) 37.01 (9.83) 36.80 (10.21) 7 121.67 (18.78) 116.25** (15.77)
CORNWALL n=14 n=14 n=14 n=14 n=14 n=14
117.01 (32.11) 114.28 (31.88)** 38.11 (9.60) 37.22 (9.57)** 7 123.61 (19.26) 120.22 (19.37)**
HOUNSLOW n=18 n=12 n=18 n=12 n=18 n=0
94.03 (17.45) 89.95** (5.22) 31.84 (4.62) 30.34** (4.91) 23 108.11 (12.37)

14. Findings
•Local differences
• Different use of resources and support
• Different stages
• Strengths
• Support of the Men’s Health Forum team
• Networking
• Marketing
• Strategic support
• Committed teams
• Partnerships
• User Rapport
• Social media

15. Findings
•Weaknesses
• Follow on support
• Partnerships
• Challenges
• Guidance on weight management practices
• Recruitment & Retention
• Lessons learnt
• Incentives
• Timing

16. Discussion
•Local differences
•Capability and capacity
• Evaluation
• Data quality
• Marketing
• Programme quality
• Theoretic framework? – Behaviour change? – Evidence based?
Immature? Lack of clarity on pathways? Training?
• Guidance
•Future?

17. Summary
• Overweight & obesity remain a major issue for men.
• Limited local support available.
• Men can be engaged and can lose weight.
• Lack of infrastructure to effectively tackle weight
problems in men.
• Future is challenging with little confidence in teams
that they can sustain services.
• Longer terms developmental programmes are
required.

18. Thank you
Professor Paul Gately
pgately@leedsbeckett.ac.uk