NICE has published public health guidance to tackle rising obesity.
The guidance aims to encourage different organisations to take action on obesity and work together in local communities.
NICE said the long-term consequences of obesity included risk of serious conditions such as diabetes, heart disease and some cancers and estimated health service costs of £5.1bn each year.
According to the Health and Social Care Information Centre 2012, levels of obesity in England are increasing with more than a quarter of the adult population now classed as obese.
Professor Mike Kelly, director of the Centre for Public Health Excellence at NICE, said: "The aim of this new guidance is to help tackle obesity using a community-wide approach, by encouraging different organisations including local government, community groups and networks to take action and work together to plan and prevent obesity.
"Ultimately, it is up to individuals to maintain a healthy weight, but there are many community-wide factors that can help them to do this, from the built environment to the language that people use to talk about the issue."
Susan Jebb, head of diet and population health at Medical Research Council Human Nutrition Research and chair of the group that developed the guidance, said the guidance importantly recommended businesses support employees in actions to prevent obesity.
Esther Trenchard-Mabere, Associate Director of Public Health/Consultant in Public Health, NHS Tower Hamlets and guidance developer, said the guidance emphasised the importance of integrating obesity with other local initiatives, such as those preventing type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and mental health.
Counsellor David Rogers, chairman of the Local Government Association's Community Wellbeing Board, said: "With the transfer of public health to local government next year, councils have a vital role to play in reducing obesity. Councils working more closely with colleagues across the NHS and key community groups can only be a good thing."
The new recommendations are aimed at local policy makers, commissioners, managers, practitioners and other professionals across all sectors.
