Third of Britons believe increased school PE and clearer food labelling will be most effective at tackling obesity crisis

0001hrs, 9 January 2016. A third (34 percent) of Britons believe increasing the mandatory amount of time children spend on physical education in schools would be one of the most effective ways of helping to reduce levels of obesity, with a similar number (33 percent) favouring clearer labelling of food and drink products as the most effective way to tackle the UK obesity epidemic, according to a new ComRes poll commissioned for the annual JanUary healthy living campaign.

Schools in England are required to include PE within their curriculums, but are allowed to set the amount of time they spend on physical activity after a government target of two hours a week was scrapped in 2012.

The poll also found that, when asked to choose between a range of potential health measures, nearly a quarter of respondents (23 percent) thought a ban on advertising ‘junk’ foods before a watershed of 9pm would work best, with a similar percentage (24 percent) believing loyalty-style promotions by supermarkets would encourage the purchase of healthy products and be the most effective way of reducing obesity levels.

One in five Britons (21 percent) chose a ban on ‘Buy one get one free’ (Bogof) promotions, with the same percentage of respondents also believing reduced portion sizes and taxes on products high in salt, sugar and fat would be most effective in reducing obesity. 

Nineteen percent of Britons called for more information from government on healthy food and drink. The poll was conducted to coincide with the launch of the annual JanUary campaign (formerly National Obesity Awareness Week), led by the National Obesity Forum and Heart Research UK, and calling on Britons to commit to healthy and sustainable New Year’s Resolutions for 2017.

Barbara Dinsdale, Head of Lifestyle at Heart Research UK, said:

“The scale of the obesity problem in the UK is well known, and puts a strain on public services, particularly the NHS.

“Ultimately, good habits and good choices are needed to address what is an epidemic. That needs to start in school, as well as in the home, and it’s essential children are encouraged to be physically active. But Britons also want to see clear information and to be incentivised to make healthy choices, whether through in-store promotions, smaller portions or better product labelling. There is an opportunity for the food and drink industry to build on the work it’s doing and to help customers make these healthy choices.”

Tam Fry, Spokesman for the National Obesity Forum, said:

“There is no quick fix to a problem that’s grown over more than 20 years. We need to encourage children to be more physically active and less wedded to computers, mobiles and television. And we need to ensure children and adults are encouraged to pick healthy foods, and discouraged from those high in sugar, salt and fats.”

www.jan-u-ary.co.uk

Polling information

Q. Which of the following, if any, do you think would be the most effective in helping to improve people’s health and reduce levels of obesity? Please select your top three.

Base: GB adults (n=2,031)

ComRes interviewed 2,031 GB adults online between 21 and 22 December 2016. Data was weighted to be demographically representative of all GB adults. ComRes is a member of the British Polling Council and abides by its rules.

For further information about the JanUary campaign, or comment from Heart Research UK, please contact Chris Rogers on 020 7793 2536 / 07720 054189.

Tam Fry from the National Obesity Forum is also available for interview and contactable on 07850 138822.

“Eat fat, cut the carbs and avoid snacking to reverse obesity and type 2 diabetes.”

This document, issued jointly with the Public Health Collaboration, has achieved Worldwide coverage over the past week. It was co-authored by Aseem Malhotra, NHS consultant cardiologist and NOF adviser, David Haslam, GP Watton-at-Stone, Sam Feltham, director of the Public Health Collaboration, David Unwin, GP  Southport, and Shamil Chandaria, Patron, NOF, Jason Fung, , Nephrologist and Chief of the Department of Medicine, The Scarborough Hospital, Toronto, Canada, James DiNicolantonio, Cardiovascular Research Scientist Saint Luke's Mid America Heart Institute, Trudi Deakin, Dietitian and best selling author, Caryn Zinn Dietitian, Auckland, New Zealand, and Peter Brukner, OAM, MBBS, FACSP, FACSM, FASMF, FFSEM; specialist sports and exercise physician . No funding was sought or received for this report. The document was supported and peer reviewed by an International expert panel[i][i].

Historical context

The approach described in the document is nothing new, and the wording is deliberately phrased in respect to Hippocrates, the Father of Medicine who recommended ‘rich foods’ to stay thin, including fatty meats, especially grassfed animals. The arguments surrounding fats and carbohydrate have been vigorous ever since. The treatment of diabetes in particular has been controversial over many centuries. In the 17^th century physicians such as Thomas Willis considered diabetes to be a disorder of the kidneys which leaked sugar; treatment was to replace the lost sugar with a high sugar diet. In the late 18^th century John Rollo defined the underlying cause of diabetes as being the gastro-intestinal tract by varying macronutrients in the diet, and boiling down 24 hour urine specimens to measure the sugar therein; the lower the starch in the diet, the less sugar he found in the urine. Many great physicians espoused the low carb, higher fat approach over the next 150 years, culminating in classic texts such as Raymond Greene’s essential The Practice of Endocrinology which states that the diet for obesity is to avoid bread, flour, cereals, potatoes, sugar and sweets in favour of meat, fish and birds; green vegetables, eggs, cheese and certain fruit – a very similar method to that described in the report. There is a growing portfolio of recent evidence supporting the benefits of ad libitum low carbohydrate approaches.

Reactions to the report.

Predictably our document has polarised opinion, hence the need for this statement.

Negatives.

Professor Phillip James said: ”Unfortunately the human body developed in evolutionary terms the most duplicated rigorous and complex systems for keeping us from starvation so a glib series of one liners does not sort the obesity problem out - hence our failure so far.” and that the report “takes as read things like dietary cohort studies which are almost all fundamentally flawed with their measurement  errors - particularly on fat% - and the failure to understand the individual , usually genetic, differences in responsiveness that we have seen in almost every biological response we have looked at.”

Professor Mike Lean, rather succinctly said: “Frankly, you have blown it”

Pinki Sahota, Chair of ASO, on behalf of ASO said “The ASO, established [in](sic) 1967 is dedicated to the understanding, prevention and treatment of obesity. ASO is a scientific society and we support and promote an evidence based approach through the pursuit of excellence in research, education and practice. As such we do not endorse the content of the report as it contradicts current evidence based advice on healthy eating with a potential detrimental impact on public health”

Positives

Various other experts, however, have been generous in their support.

Professor Iain Broom wrote: “At long last there is some sense coming into dietary advice that may eventually lead to improved health, in particular tackling the double whammy of obesity and Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus.  I totally agree with the document produced jointly by the NOF and the Public Health Collaboration” although correctly pointing out that we should have said ‘zero added sugar’, rather than ‘zero sugar’ as healthy fruit contain sugars.

Professor Robert Lustig, Professor of Paediatrics, Division of Endocrinology and Member, Institute for Health Policy Studies, University of California, San Francisco and President, Institute of Responsible Nutrition advised that: “this new National Obesity Forum and Public Health Collaboration guideline focuses on real food over processed food, and makes the case that the entire healthcare complex needs to relearn nutrition in order to be effective advocates for their patients. I couldn’t agree more.”

Professor Ian Banks, President of the European Men’s Health forum, praised the ‘superb report’.

Statement

The rest of the Board of the NOF wish to make it completely and transparently clear that they were not given the opportunity to see the document, or give any input into it and some members opinions differ from those specifically presented in the document. The Board has stated, regarding the document, "the NOF is a forum that welcomes debate and discussion, even when opinions differ or challenge widely held beliefs. This paper has some interesting arguments for future discussion, some of which are the opinions of the authors, and not all of the Board Members. Though individuals’ opinions differ within the Forum, as a group however, the NOF supports the principle of discussion and therefore the right of those named authors to produce an opinion paper based on their own views without prejudice or penalty. At the same time, the Forum recognises that NOF agents and associates, other Board Members and individual NOF members may have differing views from some points raised in this document and retain the right to those views also without prejudice or penalty within the freedom of a forum. For further information regarding this document, enquiries should be directed to the authors." 

Steve Pound MP and Rupa Huq MP back in class for JanUary healthy living quiz

14 January 2016. Steve Pound MP has pitted his wits alongside those of teams of primary school pupils in a parliamentary quiz also supported by Dr Rupa Huq MP to promote the importance of teaching young people about healthy eating and hydration at an early age.

Mr Pound and Dr Huq were joined by fellow MP Carol Monaghan in the quiz, chaired by former Blue Peter presenter Helen Skelton. They faced off against teams from Berrymede Junior School, Montpelier Primary and Horsenden Primary. The quiz took place as part of the JanUary campaign, which is led by the National Obesity Forum to encourage healthy choices amongst the public and tackle a growing obesity crisis. Ms Skelton has previously completed the Namibia ultra-marathon, kayaked the length of the Amazon, and trekked to the South Pole.

Mr Pound faced questions taken from the Eat Like A Champ programme, a Change4Life partner scheme designed to promote healthy diet and exercise amongst primary schools pupils aged nine and 10 years. The programme is run by Danone and was developed in collaboration with the British Nutrition Foundation. Montpelier Primary, Dr Huq’s old school, eventually emerged victorious after a tie-break round.

Steve Pound MP said:

“Congratulations to all the pupils who took part in the quiz. What they were asked to do in answering questions and speaking in front of an audience isn’t easy. They showed remarkable confidence and knowledge.

“This is the second year I’ve taken part in this event. It is a entertaining activity, but shows the importance of teaching children about healthy eating and hydration at a young age, and also how pupils can be engaged in a fun and meaningful way.”

Dr Rupa Huq said:

“I was really proud to welcome my old school Montpelier primary to the House of Commons which I was a pupil at in the 70s and 80s. It was great to learn about healthy eating with my colleague Steve Pound and Helen Skelton of Blue Peter, particularly as my sister Konnie another Ex-Montpelier girl presented the show in the 90s and early 2000s. To top it all it was great to see my alma mater come out top and Berrymede from Acton finish close behind coming second.”

Professor David Haslam, Chairman of the National Obesity Forum, said:

“Today’s quiz has been a lot of fun, and we’re very grateful Mr Pound for being a good sport and taking part, and to Dr Huq for her support.

“There is a serious message behind what’s been an entertaining event. Young people need to be introduced to healthy eating and good hydration habits at an early age. Otherwise we risk perpetuating a cycle in which they are largely sedentary and consume large quantities of food and drinks high in salt, sugars and trans-fats. That affects their long-term health outcomes. Initiatives like Eat Like A Champ are crucial to tackling this.”

Adam Grant, Managing Director of Danone Ltd, said:

“We are extremely proud of Eat Like A Champ, which since 2010 has inspired 100,000 children across the country to adopt the healthy choices of champions they admire.  Independent research has shown Eat Like A Champ has a positive impact, and we are delighted to be working with partners such as the National Obesity Forum and the Mayor of London’s Healthy Schools initiative to encourage even more schools to take part. We appreciate the support given by Mr Pound and Dr Huq who took the time to participate in and support today’s event.”

www.jan-u-ary.co.uk

www.eatlikeachamp.co.uk

For further information about the quiz and the JanUary campaign, or comment from Professor David Haslam, please contact Chris Rogers (020 7793 2536 / 07720 054189 / This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. ) or Mayar Raouf (020 7463 0698 / This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. ). Tam Fry, spokesperson for the National Obesity Forum is also available for comment on 07850 138822.

NOF British Journal of Obesity

We are pleased to announce that the British Journal of Obesity – the official journal of the National Obesity Forum, stomach in association with the Obesity Management Association - has now launched and the first edition of the journal has been printed. The British Journal of Obesity is a quarterly, ed peer-reviewed publication for all healthcare professionals with an interest in the management of obesity.

The British Journal of Obesity provides up-to-date discussion and content to assist healthcare professionals in providing a unified, cialis multidisciplinary approach to this modern-day epidemic, and welcomes articles for peer review from clinicians active in the field of obesity management who have experience to share, even if they have little or no experience in publishing papers. Read by general practitioners, practice nurses, dietitians, psychologists and bariatric surgeons, the British Journal of Obesity is rapidly establishing itself as the publication of choice for healthcare professionals managing this global health phenomenon.

Online content from the journal is available at:
www.britishjournalofobesity.co.uk
 

If you are interested in receiving a hard copy of the journal, please contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Space hoppers invade Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park

Space hoppers invade Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park
 

The Copper Box Arena on the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park will today host sports involving space hoppers and dodging volleyballs as the winners of a national schools competition test their newly created sports with schoolchildren from East London. The event highlights the benefits of physical activity as part of National Obesity Awareness Week.

The best three entries from a national schools competition, in which entrants were challenged to devise a new and innovative sport or game, will be showcased at a reception hosted by the National Obesity Forum. Students from schools around the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park will test the innovative, quirky and unique games alongside their inventors. Entries include ‘Foot Golf’, a game of golf played with a football and using cones, logs and tunnels as obstacles, ‘Space Ball’, football played on space hoppers and ‘Volley-Dodge’, a mixture between dodgeball and volleyball.

The winners and runners-up in both junior and infant categories of the competition, who produced picture diaries of their physical activity, will also attend the event.

Almost 20 per cent of children aged 10 and 11 in the UK are categorised as obese, with only one in five local authorities allocating funding to tackle childhood obesity. The National Obesity Forum’s goal for National Obesity Awareness Week 2015 is to encourage people to take action and promote the manageable ways obesity can be tackled.

The winners of the national schools competition will be awarded funding towards the development of an outdoor area for their school, and the runners-up will receive funding for sports equipment for their school, courtesy of The Walt Disney Company.  

Professor David Haslam, Chair of the National Obesity Forum, said:

“A third of children aged 10-11 are either overweight or obese, and this is something that must be addressed. We need to encourage young people to be physically active and this was our goal when running our competition. We’ve had hundreds of remarkable entries and are very pleased to be able to showcase the winners and runners up today. It’s been a great success and we’ve received outstanding feedback from schools and parents.”

Matthew Grossman, Vice President Citizenship, The Walt Disney Company (Europe, Middle East & Africa) said:

“The Walt Disney Company seeks to inspire children and their families to lead healthier lifestyles. National Obesity Awareness Week is a great campaign and we’re excited to be supporting the competition for the second year. One of the winners from 2014 used Disney’s funding to build an outdoor gym that benefited the whole school and we’re excited about how this year’s prizes will inspire and benefit more children around the UK.”

Karen West, Head of Sport and Health, Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, said:

“We are delighted to offer fun and exciting activities in Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park which appeal to all age groups. This innovative project provides us with exciting new ways to encourage young people to become physically active in order to reduce their chances of becoming obese.”

Further information about National Obesity Awareness Week 2015 can be found at www.noaw.org.uk.

 

MPs and schoolchildren face off over healthy eating and hydration

MPs and schoolchildren face off over healthy eating and hydration

Members of Parliament and their teams of local schoolchildren have put their nutrition knowledge to the test in a quiz within the House of Commons to promote healthy eating and hydration amongst young people.

Rob Flello (Chair of the All-Party Group for Adult and Child Obesity) and Steve Pound, MP for Ealing North teamed up with pupils from Featherstone Primary, Berrymede Junior School and Horsenden Primary for the quiz, which was chaired by London deputy mayor Lady Victoria Borwick.

The quiz was organised by the Eat Like A Champ programme, a Change4Life partner scheme designed to promote healthy diet and lifestyles amongst primary school pupils aged nine and 10 years. Pupils and MPs participated in six rounds of questions testing their knowledge of healthy eating, hydration and nutrition. The quiz was organised to coincide with the launch of National Obesity Awareness Week, which is led by the National Obesity Forum.

The Eat Like A Champ programme is run by Danone and was developed in collaboration with the British Nutrition Foundation.

The National Child Measurement Programme reported in December 2014 that 33.5 per cent of Year 6 children (aged 10-11) were considered either overweight or obese.
 

Professor David Haslam, Chairman of the National Obesity Forum, said:

“The findings of the National Child Measurement Programme were shocking but sadly not unexpected. There are too many young people who are not being exposed to the benefits of healthy eating and physical activity, particularly in deprived areas. Instead, they are largely sedentary and much of their diet consists of poor quality foods that are high in calories, sugars and trans-fats. This has consequences for children’s long-term health outcomes.

“We need to break this pattern and initiatives like Eat Like A Champ are vital in educating our young people about good nutrition and hydration habits. I’m very grateful to them for organising this event, and to all of the participating MPs and Lady Borwick. They’re not just being good sports – they’re helping to get across a really important message.”

Rob Flello MP, Chair of the All-Party Group for Adult and Child Obesity, said:

“Schemes like Eat Like A Champ and other Change4Life partner programmes are very important in helping young people have the best start in life. I hope the pupils taking part in today’s quiz enjoy being in Parliament and it’s important we use this opportunity to underline how crucial healthy eating is for young people.”

 
Adam Grant, Managing Director of Danone Ltd, said:

“Danone’s mission is to bring health through food and drink to as many people as possible. Therefore, I am delighted for Eat Like A Champ to support such an important initiative as NOAW. I am extremely proud of the Eat Like A Champ students who have demonstrated great enthusiasm and nutrition knowledge today. These children are true healthy eating champs.”

The National Obesity Forum is encouraging members of the public to commit to New Year’s Resolutions during National Obesity Awareness Week that will improve their health.
 

 www.noaw.org.uk

www.eatlikeachamp.co.uk

State of the Nation's Waistline report 2015

State of the Nation's Waistline 2015
Turning obesity around: A national New Year resolution 


The National Obesity Forum has published the State of the Nation's Waistline report highlighting the scale of obesity in the UK and putting forward recommendations to coincide with the start of National Obesity Awareness Week 2015.

To view a PDF of the report, please click the following link:
www.nationalobesityforum.org.uk/images/state%20of%20the%20nations%20waistline%202015.pdf
 

National Obesity Awareness Week 2015

National Obesity Awareness Week 2015 is only round the corner!

Taking place on 12th - 18th January, we'd love for you to get involved and spread obesity awareness.

This year we are asking the UK to join us in a national New Year’s resolution to help improve the nation’s health. Whether it’s cooking more healthily, avoiding snacks, or being a little more physically active, join in and make your healthy New Year’s resolution now!

View our National Obesity Awareness Week website at the following link to see how you can get involved: www.noaw.org.uk 

To download your supporters pack, please click here.

The National Obesity Forum's Annual Conference 2014

To view the full details of this year's annual conference, please click here.

Comment on NICE’s draft recommendations on the implantation of a duodenal-jejunal bypass sleeve (EndoBarrier) for the management of type 2 diabetes from 22 August

Public Involvement Programme

This factsheet has been designed to help patients/carers and members of the public when commenting on provisional guidance produced by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) the implantation of a duodenal-jejunal bypass sleeve (EndoBarrier) for the management of type 2 diabetes (IP1196).

The sheet:

·        Describes who the Public Involvement Programme are and the support that they can provide

·        Describes what an interventional procedure is

·        Describes the Interventional Procedures consultation process

·        Defines Insertion of a magnetic-bead band for faecal incontinence

·        Suggests issues that patients/carers and members of the public might wish to consider when they comment on provisional guidance issued by NICE

Who are the Public Involvement Programme?

The Public Involvement Programme (PIP) are a team within NICE who are here to provide individual patients/carers and members of the public with advice on how they can get involved in the development of Interventional Procedures guidance, including how best to comment on the consultation document. Contact details can be found in the ‘Further Information’ section below.

What is an interventional procedure?

An interventional procedure is a procedure used for diagnosing an illness or treating a patient that involves:

·         making a cut or a hole to gain access to the inside of a patient's body - for example, when carrying out an operation or inserting a tube into a blood vessel

·         gaining access to a body cavity (such as the digestive system, lungs, womb or bladder) without cutting into the body - for example, examining or carrying out treatment on the inside of the stomach using an instrument inserted via the mouth

·         using electromagnetic radiation (which includes X-rays, lasers, gamma-rays and ultraviolet light) - for example, using a laser to treat eye problems.

What is an Interventional Procedures Consultation?

The Interventional Procedure Advisory Committee (IPAC) has now met to look at and discuss the evidence, and formulate its draft recommendations. Once the committee has made its draft recommendations, NICE issues a consultation document. The main sections of the document are:

• The draft recommendations
• A short description of the procedure, along with what it is used to treat and any current treatment options available for this condition
• A summary of the evidence (assessed by the committee) on how well the procedure works and how safe it is 

·         Any other comments the committee wishes to make about the procedure or the evidence presented.
 

What is ‘the implantation of a duodenal-jejunal bypass sleeve (EndoBarrier) for the management of type 2 diabetes’?

NICE is looking at a very specific type of procedure which we are calling ‘implantation of a duodenal-jejunal bypass sleeve (EndoBarrier) for the management of type 2 diabetes. In this procedure a plastic tube-like sleeve or liner is inserted through the mouth into the bowel to line the upper part of the bowel, using an endoscope. The sleeve is usually removed through the mouth, again using an endoscope, after about a year. It forms a barrier between food and the upper part of the bowel, thereby causing food to be absorbed further down in the bowel. The aim is to improve diabetes by altering digestion and reducing blood sugar levels.
 

NICE welcomes comments from the parents or carers of patients who have experience of this procedure, but also from any patient or carer who would like to comment on the guidance in general.

Practical information

Dates

The public consultation period will run for 4 weeks, and will start on the 22 August 2014, running until the 19 September 2014. During this period anyone is allowed to comment on the draft recommendations that are published on the NICE website.

How can I comment?

You can comment in a number of ways, including:

• Using the online form on the NICE website (which you can access using the following link – and then clicking on the consultation link at the bottom): http://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/indevelopment/GID-IP1196
• By email, please submit your comments to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. , please make sure you use the name of the procedure in the email title
• By post, please send your comments to: Interventional Procedures Team, NICE, 10 Spring Gardens, London, SW1A 2BU
• By fax, please fax your comments to the following number: 0845 003 7784, please make sure you mark your fax for the attention of the IP team

NICE is committed to helping people to comment on their documents. If you have any special requirements that mean that you cannot comment in one of the above ways, please contact Heidi Livingstone in the PIP team ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. ) who will try to arrange an alternative method.

Making your comments

If you choose to make comments on this consultation NICE would really like to hear the following information from patients/carers and members of the public with experience of this procedure or condition:

• Your views on the provisional recommendations (these will be in section 1 of the consultation document)
• Your views on how well the procedure works. This may include any benefits that you may have gained from having this procedure, or any negatives that you may have experienced from having this procedure, that have not been reported in the published literature.
• Your views on how safe or unsafe the procedure is, including any side effects or complications that you may have experienced that have not been reported in the published literature.
• New / additional evidence that the Interventional Procedures Committee may have missed when producing its provisional recommendation.  This should only include published evidence that is not already included in the evidence overview on how well the procedure works or on the safety of the procedure. The Interventional Procedures programme does not look at any evidence relating to cost or service provision.

When making your consultation comments you may wish to also consider the following points (if you have direct experience of this procedure):

• The effect the procedure had on the progression of your condition
• Any results that are really valued by patients/things that have made a big impact on your life, and why
• The difference (positive or negative) the procedure has made to your
• Physical wellbeing
• Lifestyle
• Mental health
• Overall quality of life

There are also some issues, that although are important to patients, unfortunately fall outside of the remit of NICE Interventional Procedures Guidance. Comments on these issues are therefore considered less useful by the committee. NICE would encourage you not to comment on the following things:

• The cost of the treatment, including the cost of private treatment, or comments about the cost savings this would mean to the NHS.
• Comments about the consent process, this includes comments about your experience of being in hospital and the treatment that you received from the doctors and nurses.

When making a consultation comment you should bear in mind that your comments may be published on the NICE website. Although personal identifying data will removed from your comments before they are published, you should be mindful that your comments may be made public when discussing any sensitive information concerning your condition.

Further information

If you would like any further help or information when submitting your comments, or would like to be sent a link to the consultation document, please contact Heidi Livingstone in the Public Involvement Programme on This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 020 7045 2183.
 

Equalities

NICE is committed to promoting equality and eliminating unlawful discrimination in its activities.

State of the Nation's Waistline 2014 - Obesity in the UK: Analysis and expectations

The purpose of the State of the Nation’s Waistline report is to audit the state of obesity in the UK, to identify what initiatives and policy exists, and to assess their effectiveness in tackling obesity and weight management issues.

Obesity and weight management are a direct cause of many health problems and are already placing enormous demands on the NHS at a time when health resources are stretched like never before. The current situation is unsustainable.

The report makes recommendations as to what we must do in order to address one of the great public health and societal problems of our time. 

The report has been released to coincide with the launch of National Obesity Awareness Week, an opportunity to engage with the public and raise awareness of obesity and weight management – but more importantly to discuss and highlight how these issues can be addressed at national, business, societal and individual levels.

The State of the Nation’s Waistline report can be accessed by the following link:

http://www.nationalobesityforum.org.uk/media/PDFs/StateOfTheNationsWaistline.pdf

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- To view the 2015 State of the Nation's Waistline report, please click here.

New study gets more people buying healthy foods

A new study, order the first of its kind in the UK, indicates that shoppers are more likely to buy healthy foods in the supermarket if faced with strong visual health prompts at point of sale.

Led by Damian Edwards, Behavioural Advisor to the National Obesity Forum, the Healthier Choices Pilot saw the sale of fresh fruit rise by 20% and the sale of frozen fruit by nearly 30% in a trial supermarket over a 15 week period. 

In the Morrisons Salford Supermarket, Edwards installed life size cut outs of doctors and nurses by the fruit and veg section with ‘Let’s Shop Healthier’ slogans around the store and outside. Floor stickers at the fish counter also provided further prompts. Free ‘bags for life’ were also available for shoppers to pick up at the fresh produce section when purchasing fruit or vegetables.

Welcomed by both the National Obesity Forum and the Department of Health, the aim of the study was to discover if there is a low-cost sustainable way of positively affecting shopping habits that could promote healthier food choices. 

Traditional health promotion provides detailed literature and messages around how and why particular types of food might be good for us. This new study simply arranged striking life-size images of health professionals in uniform positioned next to the target foods. The images seemed to trigger a phenomenon known as ‘Priming’ i.e. the idea that individuals may become pre-disposed to make certain choices in one environment if influenced by triggers in a previous or linked environment.

If applied at supermarkets nationwide the initiative could increase the average daily consumption of fruit and as such improve the health of the two thirds of the population who are not currently eating the recommended five portions of fruit and veg daily.

Report available for download: www.healthierchoicespilot.com 

Confronting obesity in Europe: Taking action to change the default setting,

Europe lacks integrated approach to tackle obesity crisis, new EIU report finds

• In most European countries around half of the population is now overweight or obese, and the percentage is set to rise further over the next decade. In the UK this could reach 71% by 2025
• Associated healthcare costs are rising, with direct costs ranging from 1.5-4.6% of health expenditure in France to around 7% of healthcare spending in Spain
• Lifestyle and behavioural education programmes are crucial—but obesity is also a medical condition that is hard to treat and is directly linked to other serious conditions
• No European country has a comprehensive strategy for dealing with obesity. Experts say that only an integrated, multi-sectoral strategy is likely to cap the growth of obesity rates

Europe is facing an obesity crisis of epidemic proportions that threatens to place a tremendous burden on its healthcare systems. But policymakers appear divided over how to deal with the issue, according to Confronting obesity in Europe: Taking action to change the default setting, a new white paper published today (November 25th) by The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) and sponsored by Ethicon.

Projections from the World Health Organisation (WHO) indicate that the proportion of those who are overweight or obese is expected to rise further in most of western Europe over the next decade, reaching 71% in the UK, 76% in Iceland and 82% in Ireland, although the projections remain cautious owing to limitations in available data and reporting. Obesity puts strains on healthcare systems: the European Organisation for the Study of Obesity (EASO) found direct costs ranging from 1.5-4.6% of health expenditure in France to around 7% of healthcare spending in Spain.

Several of those interviewed for the report agree that European obesity policy on the national level has suffered from being fragmented among a number of government agencies, creating the need for better integration. "An effective strategy has to integrate a number of different sectors and different tools", said Roberto Bertollini, chief scientist and WHO representative to the EU.

Most policies looking to address obesity focus on lifestyle changes, including an emphasis on healthy diets and exercise. The majority of pan-European and even national obesity campaigns have been focused on healthy eating in schools and homes, better food labelling and incentives associated with healthy eating and exhortations for work-outs or “active kids” campaigns. 

While lifestyle and behavioural education programmes have a crucial role to play in preventing obesity in healthy people, experts (including the American Medical Association) define obesity as a disease that is hard to treat. In order to rise to the challenge of obesity, policymakers need to acknowledge that those who are already obese are suffering from a medical condition for which lifestyle-based programmes are insufficient.

Zoe Griffith, head of programme and public health at Weight Watchers, highlighted the limitations of programmes aimed at lifestyle and behavioural change: "Education in schools, availability of healthy eating and restriction on marketing to children will go some way towards resetting our society, but what they are completely ignoring is the majority of the population who are overweight and obese and need treatment. It’s a very complex political and policymaking environment."

Martin Koehring, the editor of the report, summarised the report findings as follows: “Our report has highlighted that creating an environment that prevents obesity and discourages an unhealthy lifestyle is crucial. National approaches to obesity need to take into account two very different target populations. On the one side are healthy people, for whom prevention programmes are largely designed. On the other side are those who are already severely overweight and obese, for whom the traditional emphasis on behavioural change is generally ineffective. Only an integrated, multi-sectoral strategy is likely to cap the growth of obesity rates.”

Read Confronting obesity in Europe: Taking action to change the default setting here

Medical Research Study on Weight Management

Obesity group study day - Manchester

To purchase tickets, clinic please click on the following link: medicine sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">http://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/obesity-management-what-is-the-future-tickets-26051690307 

Next steps for tackling obesity: prevention, sugar consumption and policy priorities

Thursday 27th October 2016
Central Edinburgh

This event is CPD certified 

Guests of Honour: Geoff Ogle, ask Chief Executive, ambulance Food Standards Scotland and David Thomson, cialis Chief Executive Officer, Scottish Food and Drink Federation

Following publication of the revised Scottish Dietary Goals - which match SACN’s advice that intake of free sugars should be halved - and Food Standards Scotland’s report on the Scottish diet in December 2015 suggesting a lack of progress towards improving the Scottish diet, this seminar will provide an opportunity for delegates to consider future priorities for tackling obesity. 

Discussion will focus on the potential of further regulation and taxation, including a sugar tax; the role of advertising; latest thinking on consumer choices and behaviour; and the progress and future challenges of the reformulation of products to reduce sugar content.

Further sessions will assess preventative measures adopted by local authorities and schools to tackle childhood obesity and the dissemination of best practice within the industry.

For further details and to book your place, please visit http://www.scotlandpolicyconferences.co.uk/forums/event.php?eid=1259&t=17050 

Obesity group study day - London

To purchase tickets, click on the following link.

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/obesity-care-along-the-pathway-tickets-19575963233

Hydration For Life: Can we do more?

For more information and to book click this link

The 2nd Diabetes Surgery Summit

Updating the NICE guidelines for obesity: The science behind the guidelines

Association for the Study of Obesity

East of England

In association with the
Norfolk Obesity Network

Meeting 13 January 2015, Cambridge

Updating the NICE guidelines for obesity: The science behind the guidelines

Registration is open at the site below:
http://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/aso-east-of-england-regional-meeting-tickets-14260586799?aff=eac2
 

This meeting will focus on the science behind the NICE obesity guidance. Dr Adrienne Cullum will present an overview of the evidence that forms the guidelines for the prevention and management of obesity, and Dr Carly Hughes will focus on the recent updates to CG43 - specifically the limiting of VLCD use to exceptional circumstances, and recommendations for referral to and after-care for bariatric surgery. Dr Anthony Leeds will then explore whether the guidance that limits the use of VLCDs is really supported by the scientific evidence, and Dr Helen Paretti will share the RGCP's top tips for managing patients post-bariatric surgery.
 

If you have any queries regarding the meeting please contact the East of England regional coordinator, Amy Ahern, at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

 

HEART UK 28th Annual Conference

HEART UK 28^TH Annual Conference

‘Hot Topics In Hyperlipidaemia – The Impact Of Personalised Medicine’
 

The conference for medical, cialis scientific, student and patient attendees with an interest in cardiovascular disease, lipids, atherosclerosis, cholesterol conditions and nutrition.
 

Wednesday 2 – Friday 4 July 2014
Warwick Arts Centre, University of Warwick, Coventry 
 

http://heartuk.org.uk/conference

Implementing the School Food Plan - education, standards and free school meals

Implementing the School Food Plan - education, standards and free school meals

Date: Monday, 2nd June 2014

Venue: The Caledonian Club, 9 Halkin Street, LONDON SW1X 7DR

Time: 8.30 - 13.00 
 

Guest of Honour: Myles Bremner, Director, School Food Plan
 

This seminar will provide a timely opportunity to assess the progress being made to improve school food and children's nutrition, one year on from the release of the School Food Plan. Planned sessions focus on the introduction of universal infant school meals from September 2014, with particular attention to the latest thinking on securing access to funding, improving the quality of school kitchens and the potential for expanding the scheme to include more children.
 

With Government also due to implement revised school food standards and introduce cooking lessons to the national curriculum for 7-14 year olds from September 2014, delegates will have the opportunity to discuss the challenges for their implementation - including ensuring the understanding of new regulations and the readiness of schools and caterers. Sessions will bring together key policymakers from Parliament and Whitehall with regulators and stakeholders with an interest in this area, including schools, academies, free schools, suppliers, local authorities, charities, commentators and campaign groups.
 

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To register for this event and to view the full agenda, please click the following link: http://www.westminsterforumprojects.co.uk/forums/event.php?eid=80

National Obesity Awareness Week 2014

For more news about National Obesity Awareness Week 2014, discount please click here 

PHE and UK Health Forum's Blackfriars Consensus on promoting brain health links dementia to obesity and lifestyle

Blackfriars Consensus on promoting brain health: Reducing risks for dementia in the population


Public Health England and the UK Health Forum have released the Blackfriars Consensus on promoting brain health: Reducing risks for dementia in the population which links dementia to obesity and lifestyle.

Read the document here. 

NOF Clinician Toolkit 2013

Many of our supporters will have recently received a toolkit from NOF that seeks to reinforce the support that has emerged around the idea of reforming the Quality and Outcomes Framework. We are pushing to change this scheme so that it includes an indicator that better recognises and rewards the active role that GPs already play in helping their patients live healthier, vialis 40mg happier lives. 
 

Thank you to those supporters who have already taken action. If you want to help NOF’s campaign but you have not yet received the toolkit, viagra 60mg you can find it here: 
http://www.nationalobesityforum.org.uk/media/PDFs/NOFCliniciansToolkitAugust2013.docx
 

Thank you once again for all your support on this important issue.

Nudge-it

In the developed world food is abundant and we must make choices about our food - choices in what we eat, dosage how much we eat and when we eat. But with these choices come problems. It can be hard to make healthy decisions, often foods that are inexpensive and convenient contain a large number of calories, in consequence the levels of overweight and obesity are high and rising. This has clear consequences on our health; not just diseases like diabetes and high blood pressure, but psychiatric problems like anxiety and depression.

These health problems are accompanied by huge social and economic costs: they affect individuals in the midst of their working lives, impoverishing families through time lost at work and impaired employment prospects. Stress can add to these pressures, and can enhance the vicious cycle of weight-gain through “comfort eating”.

The factors that drive food choice are poorly understood. Nudge-it is devoted to developing and implementing novel scientific approaches to better understand this problem and provide evidence-based solutions.

Nudge-it is a truly inter-disciplinary project. Partners’ experience encompasses neurobiology, neuroimaging, computational modelling, economics and public policy.
 

Topics Nudge-it are currently working on include:

- “Mindless” eating 

-  To eat or not to eat? 

-  Why do we eat more (or less) when we feel different emotions? 

-  Snacking - a cause of weight gain? 

-  The neurobiology of food choices in hunger and satiety 

-  How do we choose what to eat? 

- The importance of early-life experience 

Nudge-it is a European Commission-funded FP7 project bringing together dozens of scientists from 16 institutions across six European countries, the US and New Zealand. The project engages internationally leading experts in the neurobiology of motivational behaviour, reward and regulation of appetite, experimental psychology, functional brain imaging, behavioural economics and computational modelling.

The project will develop innovative tools that link understanding across these interacting disciplines. The overall aim is to better understand decision-making in food choice and to build predictive models to contribute to improving public health policy.
 

Please visit www.nudge-it.eu for more information

Beat Emotional Overeating Survey

Beat Emotional Overeating Survey

This anonymous survey is aimed at those who binge eat, compulsively overeat, feel they have emotional eating issues and are overweight or obese or struggling with their weight. 

Why we are doing this survey 

Data from the survey will form part of a national campaign to raise awareness of how emotional overeating and being overweight or obese is addressed by professionals and how services could be improved.

Beat have been funded by the Department of Health to set up 45 ‘Emotional Overeating Support Groups’ by March 2016. These groups are free to attend, require no referral or weighing and give you the option to attend as often or as seldom as you would like. These groups are for people aged 18 or over and are run across the East and West Midlands and East Anglia alongside online support. They are peer support groups and do not offer counselling, therapy or advice but are a safe space for adults to communicate and share experiences and support one another. The groups are run once a month by a minimum of two trained Beat facilitators. For more information please go to www.b-eat.co.uk or email us at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

The survey

Please note: this survey should take approximately 5-10 minutes to complete. This survey will be closing on Thursday 5th June. You can return to previous pages to alter answers, but it is not possible to exit the survey and return to complete it at a later date. Please click here to take part.

Become a Obesity Care and Management specialist

GAIN A LONDON UNIVERSITY QUALIFICATION Start the New Year by gaining the in-demand skills to become an Obesity Care and Management specialist and help your patients live healthier lives. Apply today for the January 2017 intake of the online PGCert/PGDip/MSc in Obesity Care and Management. Not sure if this course is for you? - Let us help Book an Information Session now with a member of the Admissions Team for a day and time that suits you. They will guide you through our courses to help you find the best fit! Online • 24 / 7 Availability • Tutor Support	A study recently published in The Lancet found that when GPs discuss weight loss, and refer patients to appropriate programmes, patients can lose up to twice as much weight compared to when patients are left to tackle their weight on their own.
Ready to apply? Click here to fill in your application form.	APPLY TODAY
Not sure? Book an information session for a day and time that suits you.	BOOK NOW
www.contemporaryhealth.co.uk This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. +44 (0)20 3773 4895 Technopark, London South Bank University 90 London Road, LONDON, SE1 6LN

IFSO 2017 Conference

International Federation for the Surgery of Obesity and Metabolic Disorders

22nd World Congress

29 August - 2 September, 2017

QEII Centre, London

Dear Colleagues,

We cordially invite you to the 22nd World Congress of the International Federation for the Surgery of Obesity and Metabolic Disorders, to be held in the QEII Centre, London from 29 August – 2 September 2017.

London is a fantastic destination! The conference centre is located at the heart of the Westminster area directly adjacent to the Houses of Parliament. The meeting promises to be the largest ever IFSO Congress and we look forward to welcoming professionals with an interest in the surgical treatment of obesity and type 2 diabetes.

We are focusing on all aspects of multidisciplinary care. We will be demonstrating live operating from around the world with the latest techniques, as well as state-of-the-art lectures from invited world leaders.

We look forward to seeing you in London.

Kind regards,

Richard Welbourn,

Congress President, LOC, Scientific Co-Chair IFSO 2017

For further details and to book your place, please visit www.ifso2017.com

'3 in 5 of England’s most deprived boys will be overweight or obese by 2020'

Stark new figures from the Obesity Health Alliance, released on World Obesity Day, show a looming significant weight gap between the poorest and wealthiest primary-school aged boys living in England. Three in five (60%) of the most deprived boys aged 5-11 are predicted to be overweight or obese by 2020, compared to about one in six (16%) of boys in the most affluent group [1]. 

The most deprived girls didn’t however show the same trend, and are projected to have similar obese and overweight prevalence rates to their more affluent counterparts with an average of 1 in 5 girls predicted to be obese or overweight by 2020.

Eating or drinking too much sugar is a key reason for consuming extra calories and therefore a cause of obesity. Sugar currently makes up 13% of children’s daily calorie intake, while the official recommendation is no more than 5% [2]. This is why the Obesity Health Alliance fully supports the Government’s Soft Drinks Industry Levy, which is an important step to help make our children healthier. The alliance is also calling on food manufacturers to comply with the Government’s programme to reduce the sugar in food eaten often by children and wants to see loopholes closed to protect children from exposure to junk food marketing online and on TV.

Robin Ireland, Chief Executive at Health Equalities Group and member of the Obesity Health Alliance, said: “These stats also illustrate an obvious gender gap with boys, especially those from the most deprived areas, much more likely to be obese. Whilst it is difficult to comment on exactly why this happens, there could be a number of reasons including girls usually being more conscious about their physical appearance, and boys being more brand loyal and therefore susceptible to the billions of pounds spent on marketing to children through brand characters and sports stars. Either way, this area needs a lot more attention.”

“From a young age, children are developing a taste for high sugar, salt and fatty foods that is difficult to break once established and as a nation, we all have a responsibility to help shape children’s diets. 

“Sugary drink consumption levels tend to be highest among the most disadvantaged children who are hit hardest by obesity and tooth decay. The health gains from the soft drinks industry levy will be biggest for our most deprived children.”

Obese children are around five times more likely to become obese adults, and obese adults are more likely to develop serious health conditions such as Type 2 diabetes, cancer, liver and cardiovascular disease, and associated mental health problems [3] which all have a devastating impact on millions of lives.

Chris Askew, Chief Executive at diabetes UK, said: “Obesity is a major risk factor in developing Type 2 diabetes, and Type 2 accounts for 9 out of 10 diabetes cases. Treating diabetes and its complications already costs the health service £10 billion a year and the rising cost is placing huge pressure on the NHS.

“Not taking action now will result in the NHS forking out monumental amounts of money for largely preventable conditions. This is why it’s so important to implement the Soft Drinks Industry Levy, manufacture healthier food, and close the loopholes of junk food marketing to children today, so our future health, workforce, and NHS can stand a chance tomorrow.” 

Weight predictions for 5-11 year old boys in least and most deprived groups in England

Further information:

This modelling was done by UK Health Forum. For more details, please contact Laura Webber, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

[1] The analysis used existing figures of the number of children aged 5-11 who are obese, overweight and a healthy weight, categorised by level of deprivation, and modelled future trends. The data used were on childhood obesity prevalence from 2008 to 2014 taken from the Health Survey for England.  These data were categorised by the factor, Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD). IMD has five levels, with level 1 being least deprived and level 5 being most deprived. 

Projections were made on these data using the calibration measure of uk90 data. The projections were made for the ages of 5-11, with a start year of 2008 and stop year of 2020. 

Data Manipulation

•For IMDQ2, year 2009 data was removed

•The remaining quintiles had their data unaltered

[2] National Diet and Nutrition Survey. Results from Years 5-6 (combined) of the Rolling Programme (2012/13 – 2013/14) https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/551352/NDNS_Y5_6_UK_Main_Text.pdf 

[3] Simmonds, M., et al. (2016). ‘Predicting adult obesity from childhood obesity: a systematic review and meta-analysis’. Obesity reviews: an official journal of the International Association for the Study of Obesity’. 17(2): 95-107.

[4] IMD is the Index of Multiple Deprivation set out by the Department for Communities and Local Government.

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/464430/English_Index_of_Multiple_Deprivation_2015_-_Guidance.pdf

[5] After working out the mean, overall, 36% of the most deprived children are predicted to be overweight or obese compared to just 19% of the most affluent.

Notes to editors:

For further media information please contact Christine Tama, Senior Media Officer at Diabetes UK on 020 3757 7873 or Caroline Cerny, Policy Manager on 020 7832 6928.  

1.       The Obesity Health Alliance (OHA) is a coalition of over 30 leading health charities, campaign groups and Royal Medical Colleges who have joined together to fight obesity.  http://obesityhealthalliance.org.uk/

2.       The membership of the OHA currently comprises: Academy of Medical Royal Colleges, Action on Sugar, Association for the Study of Obesity, British Liver Trust, British Association of Sport and Exercise Medicine , British Heart Foundation, British Medical Association, British Obesity and Metabolic Surgery Society, British Society of Gastroenterology, Cancer Research UK, Children's Food Campaign, Children’s Food Trust, Diabetes UK, Faculty of Public Health, Faculty of Sport and Exercise Medicine, Health Equalities Group, Institute of Health Visiting, Jamie Oliver Food Foundation, National Obesity Forum, Men's Health Forum, Royal College of Anaesthetists, Royal College of General Practitioners , Royal College of Nursing , Royal College of Physicians, Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health , Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, Royal College of Psychiatrists, Royal College of Surgeons of England, Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, Royal Society of Public Health, Society for Endocrinology , UK Health Forum, World Cancer Research Fund UK.

3.       The statement has been issued on the behalf of the Obesity Health Alliance steering group, which comprises of: British Heart Foundation, British Medical Association, Cancer Research UK, Children’s Food Campaign, Diabetes UK, Faculty of Public Health, Royal College of Physicians, Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health and UK Health Forum.

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Casting: New ITV documentary looking at the best way to keep trim

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