Background: Male obesity is increasing and, despite well-established links between obesity and ill-health, men appear reluctant to engage in weight loss programmes. This reticence may reflect a general failure to recognise gender issues in weight management. Community nurses working in partnership with a community dietitian in Camelon, a deprived area of Scotland, have developed a group-based weight management programme specifically for obese men. This paper provides an evaluation of the first 4 years of the Camelon model's operation. Methods: Anonymised databases from local Men's Health Clinics and the weight management programme were consulted to determine the reach and weight loss outcomes of the Camelon model. These databases also provided the demographic and health characteristics of weight management participants. Finally, focus groups obtained the views of participants and their wives. Results: The majority (76.2%) of the obese men who enrolled in a weight management group completed the 12...
