Table 3 Participants’ (n = 27) descriptions of how obesity management education is provided to students within medical schools

To raise awareness of:

1. Audiologist

1. Adherence behaviour

1. Behavioural and social sciences literature and education network guidelines

1. Consequences of unhealthy behaviours

2. Bariatric surgery researcher

2. Central nervous system

2. Charitable organisation resources (national forums for health/obesity)

2. Current practice and team work

3. Biochemist

3. Chronic disease

3. Government guidelines (Department of Health reports/handbooks)

3. Determinants of obesity

4. Biomedical scientist

4. Clinical placements

4. Health care system guidelines (NICE/SIGN)

4. Difficulties of achieving behaviour change

5. Children’s health advocacy organisation worker

5. Communication skills

5. Personal experience (from clinical practice)

5. Effective behaviour change techniques

6. Clinicians (various specialties)

6. Endocrinology

6. Epidemiology of obesity

7. Communication skills specialist

7. Gastroenterology

7. Importance of biopsychosocial approach

8. Dietician

8. Human diversity

8. Health promotion approaches

9. Psychologist

9. Lifestyle

9. Public health issues related to obesity

10. Midwife

10. Metabolism

Skills acquisition:

11. Nurse

11. Nutrition

10. Address patients’ beliefs/barriers to change

12. Nutritionist

12. Obesity week

11. Assess patients’ self-efficacy

13. Pharmacist

13. Patient safety

12. Constructive advice regarding weight loss

14. Physiotherapist

14. Professionalism

13. Learn/use behaviour change skills

15. Public health professional

15. Psychiatry

14. Practical management of obesity with patients

15. Social worker

16. Psychology

16. Speech and language therapist

17. Rheumatology

18. Surgery