New research commissioned by RSPH has revealed that the weight of a professional does affect the likelihood that the public will listen to them about lifestyle health advice, particularly around diet and exercise.

Key findings include:

• Fewer than 1 in 10 (9%) would take advice on diet and exercise from an overweight GP, whereas nearly two thirds (59%) would take advice from a GP with a healthy weight;
• Just over half are more likely to take advice from a fitness instructor who is a healthy weight, whereas just 5% would listen to one who is overweight;
• A fireman with a healthy weight (32%) is three times more likely to be listened to about diet and exercise, than an overweight GP (9%);
• Twice as many people (41%) are less likely to take advice on diet and exercise from an overweight or obese healthcare professional, than would take their advice (17%).

In general the public are much less likely to take diet and exercise advice from healthcare and other professionals who are either overweight or obese. 

Shirley Cramer, Chief Executive of RSPH which commissioned the research, said that the weight of the messenger appears to be crucial when it comes to the public heeding lifestyle advice.

“It is clear that the public are more inclined to take advice from those of us who are a healthy weight.  Healthcare professionals and the wider public health workforce are going to be instrumental in supporting the two thirds of us who are either overweight or obese to lose weight, so it is useful to know what might help or hinder in getting healthy lifestyle messages across to the public. It appears that healthcare professionals need to be role models in order to help convince the public of the importance of losing weight.

"It is also encouraging that the public would take lifestyle advice from other professionals, such as firemen, pharmacists and even hairdressers particularly if they are role models for health. This will become increasingly important as we draw upon the non-traditional public health workforce to get healthy lifestyle messages across to the public. 

"We know that NHS England is committed to improving the health and wellbeing of the healthcare workforce, and this just goes to show that it’s not only important for the health and wellbeing of NHS staff, but it may also be critical in convincing the public of the need to lose weight.”

In addition to surveying the public, RSPH also conducted research with 103 people who work in public health and found that:

• Almost three-quarters (73.26%) think people who work in public health should be non smokers;
• Nearly three-quarters (72.8%) believe that people who work in public health should be a healthy weight;
• More than four in five (81.37%) believe that practicing what you preach is particularly important for the public to trust you when it comes to maintaining a healthy weight;
• Over half of people (53.4%) who work in public health feel under pressure to act as a role model for healthy lifestyles.