NICE has issued draft guidance recommending annual BMI and waist-to-height ratio checks for adults with long-term conditions such as diabetes and heart disease.
Published today for consultation, the guidance aims to identify individuals at risk of weight-related complications and provide appropriate support to prevent future ill-health. While annual physical checks are common, BMI and waist-to-height ratio recordings are not consistently added to health records. NICE seeks to address this inequality in care.
This would see annual BMI recording for all adults with long-term health conditions, as well as additional wait-to-height ration measurements for those with a BMI under 35. Whilst there is not a definitive list of conditions that would be focused on with these checks, the quality standard has suggested that conditions could include COPD, diabetes, heart failure, learning disabilities, bipolar disorder, and more.
Deputy Chief Executive and Chief Medical Officer at NICE, Professor Jonathan Benger, commented:
“These simple annual measurements create opportunities for early intervention and conversations about long-term health and wellbeing. By identifying trends before they become problems, clinical practitioners can help people prevent more serious health complications down the line.
“Annual monitoring of BMI and waist-to-height ratio is a powerful tool to help prevent problems developing such as the onset of diabetes, heart disease or other obesity-related conditions.
“Once implemented, these proposed quality standards could significantly improve health outcomes for people with long-term conditions by ensuring consistent, timely support for weight management across all healthcare settings.”
Additional recommendations include:
- Support for Learning Disabilities: Access to overweight and obesity management services.
- Local Interventions: Up-to-date information on available services.
- Health and Wellbeing Advice: Post-behavioural intervention support.
- Wraparound Care: Diet, nutrition, and physical activity focus for those on weight management medications.
- Annual Follow-Up: For adults discharged from bariatric surgery services.
The draft quality standard is open for public consultation from 18 March to 15 April 2025, with the final standard expected in August 2025.
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