Smart scales and special clinics to help thousands of obese children lose weight

Thousands of severely overweight children could be helped by hi-tech “smart scales” as part of an NHS England campaign to support weight loss and promote healthy habits.

The digital device, hailed by health chiefs as a “game-changing tool,” is being rolled out at specialist NHS clinics where staff can monitor and provide ongoing weight loss help to patients and their families.

About 350 patients are already using the smart scales, which have “hidden digits” that connect to a mobile app.

It visually shows the “direction of their weight management” without displaying specific numbers, a spokesman said.

The data is automatically transferred to the patient’s clinical team, who can keep in touch with the family through the app to send regular personalised feedback.

This would be done in line with any behavioural changes that may be needed.

The aim is to deliver expert care at home and cut down on the need for frequent hospital visits, for a range of potential issues such as stroke and mental health problems.

The pilot scheme is being rolled out at 15 Complications from Excess Weight (CEW) clinics.

So far 4,784 children and young people, aged from two to 18, living with severe obesity in England, have received care for complications or conditions linked to excess weight from  32 specialist NHS clinics, since 2021.

Another 150 children are in line to use the new smart scales tool and app when it is rolled out to four more clinics this summer, according to NHS England.

Professor Simon Kenny, NHS England’s national clinical director for children and young people, said: “This game-changing tool is helping our specialists support and keep track of children’s weight-loss progress without them needing to leave home, while offering regular advice to them and their parents to help build healthy habits.

“Living with excess weight can cause problems affecting every organ system and long-term complications such as type 2 diabetes, stroke, early joint replacements and mental health difficulties.

“We also know that children living with health problems have poorer school attendance, which can affect their future employment and life opportunities – and the NHS won’t just sit by and let children and young people become ill adults.”

Early intervention can help limit excess weight gain and prevent the long-term health complications linked to obesity, according to Prof Kenny.

He said the specialist clinics have “already transformed the lives of thousands of children and young people – supporting them to lose weight, live heathier lives and improve their mental health”.

A 16-year-old schoolgirl, named only as Kirsty, described going to Sheffield Children’s NHS Foundation Trust CEW clinic two years  ago as “the best decision I ever made”, even though she was “really nervous” at first about attending.

Kirsty was severely bullied about her weight and height at school, which led her to struggle with her mental health and gain more weight.

She said: “Talking about my mental health helped me a lot. The team also taught me a lot about food groups, portion sizes and lots of other things.

“Now I am the best I have ever felt, I am the lowest weight I have ever been and still losing weight. I am getting a lot of help with my mental health and also still getting a lot of other support.”

CEW clinic patients can face a range of complex conditions and challenges, according to an analysis of thousands of patients’ demographic and obesity-linked health data presented at the European Congress on Obesity in Malaga, Spain.

A high proportion have a neurodevelopmental disorder, including 24% who had autism or 23% with a learning disability.

Major health complications such as metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease was recorded in 30% of patients, 21% had obstructive sleep apnoea and 21% also suffered from hypertension.

More than 40% of patients also lived within the most deprived neighbourhoods, according to the researchers from Leeds Beckett University, Sheffield Hallam University, Leeds University and the University of Bristol.

Young people could be referred to a CEW clinic if they have a body mass index (BMI) above the 99.6 percentile, which is considered severe obesity, especially in children and young people, and a complication because of their excess weight.

Specialist NHS doctors, nurses, psychologists, social workers and dietitians are at hand to assess their complications, provide tailored help with diet and lifestyle changes, and give mental health support and coaching.