UCL International Institute for Society and Health
2008 PUBLIC SEMINAR SERIES
You are invited to attend on:
1 July 2008, Tuesday 5pm – 6.30pm
Panel Discussion: Obesity and inequality: what hope for change?
*Please bring this invitation with you.
Panel Members
Helen Croker: Research Dietitian, UCL Health Behaviour Research Centre.
Member of clinical guidance group for the NICE obesity guidelines.
Tim Lang: Professor of Food Policy, City University. Advisor to the
Foresight Obesity programme and member of the Sustainable Development
Commission.
Tim Lobstein: Director of the IASO child obesity programme and leader of
POLMARK, a European Commission funded project on policies on marketing of
food to children.
Martin McKee : Professor of European Public Health, LSHTM. Research director
of the European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies; project leader
of a 6th Framework coordination action EURO-PREVOB for the prevention of obesity
Panel Chair
Eric Brunner: Reader in Epidemiology & Public Health, Co-Director of the UCL
Health & Society Summer School
Abstract
Overweight and obesity have become a major public health issue in UK and
Europe. The Foresight report (2007) came to the conclusion that “obesity is
a complex, multifaceted problem with no easy or obvious solutions”. In other
words, reversal of the upward trend will be slow and will necessarily
involve interventions at several levels. A vital aspect of the debate
concerns the distribution of responsibility for solutions among individuals
and families, business and government. How can obesogenic environments be
converted into leptogenic environments? Even in France with its strong
tradition of food culture, obesity prevalence has risen and the
socioeconomic obesity gap has widened over the past decade. How to reverse
the growing link between social disadvantage and weight gain? Income
inequality and food insecurity are growing, making cheap energy-dense foods
an attractive purchase for people on low incomes. The expert panel will lead
discussion on public health dimensions of the issue: (1) effectiveness of
weight loss interventions, (2) structural and cultural causes of obesity,
(3) childhood obesity and UK policy responses, and (4) emerging EU policy on
obesity and inequalities in obesity.
This seminar will be held at UCL and is part of the UCL Health & Society
2008 Summer School. It is free, but space is limited. NO NEED TO RSVP .
Arrive promptly to secure a seat. Please contact us if you have any special
needs. Seminar venue:
UCL Old Refectory (under the UCL dome), UCL Main Gates, Gower Street, WC1E
6BT . Nearest Underground station Euston Square. Warren St and Goodge St is
also within walking distance. Email: [log in to unmask] Refreshments at
6.30pm after the seminar.
You may access audio recording of our some past seminars at:
http://www.ucl.ac.uk/iish/seminars.htm
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