It is estimated that approximately 6 million Australians aged 18 years and over are living with obesity; and approximately 1 million of these Australians aged 18-65 years are living with clinically severe obesity.

According to current guidelines, these people should be seeking primary care to manage their obesity and risk of related complications, and be considered for referral to a specialist obesity management service where indicated. We believe that patients should have equitable access to all available treatment options across all levels within health system.

These should be delivered by a multidisciplinary team of healthcare professionals using long-term chronic disease approaches and considering patient preferences and variations in responses.