Source · Select Committees · Health and Social Care Committee
Second Report - The impact of body image on mental and physical health
Health and Social Care Committee
HC 114
Published 2 August 2022
Recommendations
1
Accepted
Initiate comprehensive cross-government strategy to tackle growing problem of body dissatisfaction and its consequences.
Recommendation
We urge the Government to immediately initiate a comprehensive cross-government strategy that brings together, at the very least, the Department of Health and Social Care, the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, and the Department for Education to tackle …
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Government Response Summary
The government agreed on the need for cross-government work but stated there is no immediate need for a standalone strategy, as departments are already collaborating and existing initiatives like the Every Mind Matters campaign and the Healthy Child Programme address some issues. It committed to considering further actions within broader upcoming major conditions and suicide prevention strategies.
Department of Health and Social Care
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3
Accepted
Para 44
Prioritise BDD diagnosis and treatment by updating curricula and embedding specialist practitioners.
Recommendation
We urge the Department to ensure more is done to make the diagnosis and treatment of Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD) a priority. From a diagnostic perspective, we recommend that Health Education England update the IAPT (Improving Access to Psychological Therapies) …
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Government Response Summary
The government agreed that BDD diagnosis and treatment are a priority, stating this is addressed through current training for mental health professionals and NHS talking therapies (IAPT) in line with NICE guidance. It rejected compulsory BDD training for EMHPs as not clinically appropriate and confirmed body image is already covered in statutory RSHE/PSHE curricula.
Department of Health and Social Care
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4
Accepted
Explore using family hubs to educate young people and parents about body image and self-worth.
Recommendation
We call on the Government to better equip future generations and their families with the skills and resources required to tackle body image issues. These skills and resources include critical thinking, particularly when it comes to appraising images, and self- …
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Government Response Summary
The government committed to improving families' access to resources for body image issues through the £301.75 million rollout of Family Hubs in half of local authorities across England. These hubs will provide guidance on mental health and emotional wellbeing support, connecting families to resources like the Every Mind Matters website and offering advice on nutrition.
Department of Health and Social Care
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24
Accepted
Para 124
Establish a 'Non-Surgical Cosmetic Procedures' safety taskforce for coordinated regulation and patient safety.
Recommendation
We recommend that the Department establish a ‘Non-Surgical Cosmetic Procedures’ safety taskforce that comprises each of the regulatory bodies that have input into the sector, including the MHRA, the nine statutory bodies, the ASA and stakeholders like the JCCP, Save …
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Government Response Summary
The government states it already has effective working relationships with various regulatory bodies and key industry stakeholders. They will continue to work with these groups to ensure consumer safety, thus implicitly declining the recommendation to establish a new safety taskforce.
Department of Health and Social Care
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Conclusions (2)
12
Conclusion
Accepted
Para 85
We were extremely disappointed that during the inquiry, the Government delayed the introduction of restrictions on multibuy deals on food and drinks high in fat, salt, or sugar, including buy-one-get-one-free deals. It is essential that the Government prioritises interventions that provide a healthy environment, rather than focusing solely on individual …
Government Response Summary
The government details existing population-wide interventions, such as calorie labelling and location restrictions for high fat, salt, or sugar (HFSS) products, along with successes in reformulation programmes. However, it does not address the committee's disappointment over the delay in implementing multibuy restrictions or commit to their immediate introduction.
13
Conclusion
Accepted
Para 86
We propose that, in line with the introduction of Integrated Care Systems which seek to tackle health inequalities and focus on prevention, the Department ought to bolster the Healthy Child Programme, the programme for prevention and public health of children and young people aged 0–19-year-old and their families. We propose …
Government Response Summary
The government details existing work by OHID on person-centred language for obesity and the Better Health campaign, and mentions that the National Child Measurement Programme is trialling new approaches to help parents and professionals discuss weight supportively. However, it does not commit to introducing annual holistic health and wellbeing assessments for every child or specifically bolstering the Healthy Child Programme.