It is well established that living with obesity or being overweight is the main modifiable risk factor for developing type 2 diabetes, with around 90% of people with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes being overweight or obese. The gravity of the connection between the two conditions was evidenced by the announcement from the Primary Care Diabetes Society, who in March 2025 updated the title of the working group to become the Primary Care Diabetes and Obesity Society.

In the recently published 10-Year Health Plan, obesity is outlined one of the key target areas to tackle as part of the shift from sickness to prevention and tackling major causes of illness. The plan sets out commitments to tackle the obesity epidemic, including stricter rules on advertising of junk food to children, banning the sale of high-caffeine energy drinks to under 16-year-olds and introducing mandatory health food sales reporting for large companies in the food sector.

The plan also highlights the potential of the latest innovations and scientific breakthroughs to further the prevention agenda and tackle obesity and its impact on other long-term conditions. For example, harnessing the use of genomic testing to identify people who are at the highest risk of developing obesity to enable more personalised prevention approaches.

Similarly, the new game-changing weight loss treatments, such as GLP-1 receptor agonists, are having a huge impact in supporting people to maintain a healthy weight as a preventive measure for obesity. With the mass rollout of tirzepatide on the NHS underway, the next steps for clinicians are to advocate for appropriate use and access to these drugs. This will involve balancing the potential impacts on workload and training to appropriately initiate and manage these treatments at pace to all who can benefit with sufficient support.

Alongside the plan, the recently updated NICE NG246 guideline, Overweight and obesity management, has replaced several pre-existing NICE guidelines surrounding prevention, behavioural interventions and dietary advice. One of the major changes mentioned in the guidance is a shift towards the perception of obesity and being overweight as a chronic long-term condition which requires ongoing support. Understanding obesity as a disease rather than exclusively a social condition will raise awareness of obesity as catalyst for more effective diabetes management.  

To achieve this, a wider conversation around the professional and social stigma attached to weight needs to be unpacked. There are discussions about appropriate language and approaches to overweight and obesity within consultations, emphasising a respectful, person-centred approach that avoids stigma or judgement. For example, permission should be sought before discussing weight, using non-stigmatising, person-first language like “living with obesity.” Clinicians are encouraged to adopt a supportive, solution-focused tone, as poor communication can lead to disengagement and worsen physical and psychosocial outcomes for patients.

To develop more preventative diabetes care, any review or treatment should take a more holistic approach to examine different conditions in conversation with each other. As type 2 diabetes and obesity are increasingly seen as inextricably linked, there needs to be a sharing of best practice in delivering quality care across multiple long-term conditions and specialities.