National Obesity Forum - NOF in the media

National Obesity Forum
An independent charity, working to improve the prevention and management of obesity.

NOF in the media

The Truth About Obesity; a response from the National Obesity Forum

30th November, 2007 [Dr Colin Waine]

The Truth About Obesity - Richard Vardon
BBC Radio 4s The Investigation

Response from the National Obesity Forum
The BBC claims to provide factual reporting and to deal with issues facing
society in a fair and balanced way. If this is so then the above programme fell
far short of these aspirations.

Any truly investigative programme should be approached by the
investigator(s) with a totally open mind. The issues should be dealt with
impartially allowing the audience to reach an informed conclusion.

In dealing with obesity the investigator, Richard Vardon, approached the
subject with pre-judged conclusions and then used the well known journalistic
technique of using selected clips from pre-recorded interviews to substantiate
his case.

The result was that the programme told listeners more about his prejudices
than about the impact of obesity on mortality, morbidity and quality of life,
about which there is a wealth of evidence.

While he rightly exposed the limits of using BMI as a measure of obesity he
failed to emphasise the importance of considering bodily composition and the
key role of visceral fat.

Where are we now: Treatments for obesity

Pulse 30 October 2007 [David Haslam]

The controversy

Some of the most toxic compounds known to man have been used as drugs to combat excess weight: mercury, arsenic, strychnine and the metabolic poison dinitrophenol. In the 1930s, following the introduction of benzadrine to treat narcolepsy, similar compounds – amphetamines – were introduced to manage obesity. Undoubtedly effective as reducing agents, and backed by massive advertising campaigns, amphetamine use and abuse soared. In the 1950s they were even given as combination drugs alongside barbiturates, introduced to offset amphetamine-induced ‘jitters’.

It eventually became clear that the drugs were addictive, abusable, and had potentially fatal side-effects including heart valve defects and primary pulmonary hypertension. The weight loss they induced was short term, and rapidly regained, and even those related drugs that can still be used on a named-patient basis in the UK (by dodgy and outrageously expensive slimming clinics), have no place in the long-term management of obesity.

Unfortunately, however, modern anti-obesity agents have been tainted by the memory of their discredited predecessors even though a huge portfolio of major trials proves their tolerability and efficacy, not only as weight loss agents, but also as cardiometabolic risk modifiers.

A quarter of children too fat by age 5

Daily Mail 08 October 2007 [Colin Waine]

A third of children leaving primary school in some areas of the country are overweight, official figures have revealed. A "snapshot" of the health of the nation's children showed that the young are getting fatter despite Government pledges to act. The latest figures are part of a nationwide survey of children's weight commissioned by the Department of Health. Although the full results will not be known until next Spring, ten primary care trusts have released their results under the Freedom of Information Act. These show that on average a quarter of children are already obese or overweight when they start school at the age of five. And in some areas the figure rises to a third by the time pupils enter secondary school at 11. Worryingly, although both figures are up on previous years, experts have warned they could still be underestimating the problem - as the parents of heavier children are less likely to agree to have them weighed.

Fizzy drinks messages have no long-term effect

Press Association 08 October 2007 [Tam Fry]

An education programme which successfully cut the level of obesity in children by teaching them about healthy eating and discouraging fizzy drinks was no longer effective three years after the intervention came to an end, according to a study published on bmj.com today. The authors say the original study provided hope that simple interventions could have an impact on obesity levels but they now believe these sorts of programmes need to be continuous if their long term effect is to be properly assessed.

Child obesity tzar appointed

Birmingham News 04 October 2007 [David Haslam]

Birmingham has appointed the UK's first obesity czar to tackle child weight problems in the city. Birmingham City Council and PCTs have appointed an obesity czar to tackle the childhood obesity problem in the city. The role's £45,000 salary is being funded by the local Health and Wellbeing partnership. Dr Patrick Lowe was appointed three months ago to work out how obesity can be tackled in the young. An estimated one child in 10 in the area is obese when they start school. “ My primary responsibility is to produce a pan-Birmingham strategy that will be the basis of all the agencies in Birmingham whose work impacts on childhood obesity “, said Dr Lowe.

TGs and waist measure ‘predict heart disease’

Pulse 03 October 2007 [Colin Waine]

Dual measurement of waist circumference and triglyceride level can be used by GPs as a quick and accurate predictor of heart disease risk in apparently healthy individuals, UK research shows. Experts said ‘hypertriglyceridaemic waist’ was an effective screening tool and could easily be used in primary care to identify those who would benefit from preventive treatment. Data from the Department of Health-funded EPIC-Norfolk study found that men with fat waists and high triglyceride levels (seebox) had a 66% increased risk of future CHD compared with the general population.

Poor diet in deprived children is not down to ignorance

Sunday Herald 30 September 2007 [David Haslam]

Mothers living in deprived areas of Scotland are raising their children on poor-quality diets despite knowing the benefits of healthy eating. New research on improving the eating habits of young children has found most mothers still serve up fatty, sugary foods instead of fresh fruit and vegetables. Among the factors implicated included a busy lifestyle and concerns that the child wasn't eating enough; mothers not wanting to restrict sweets, and a lack of regular mealtimes, such as breakfast.

Dunkley backs call for more sport in schools

The Royal Gazette Wednesday, September 26, 2007 [Jane DeVille-Almond ]

Opposition Leader Michael Dunkley last night called for more sports to be built into the school day to tackle the Island's ballooning obesity epidemic.

Mr. Dunkley said healthy eating and nutrition should also be increased in the school curriculum and that, if necessary, school hours should be extended to accommodate the extra activities.

It comes after UK National Obesity Forum Jane DeVille-Almond branded Bermuda's schools system "a disgrace" for only dedicating 100 minutes a week to physical activity.

UK obesity expert here for workshops

The Royal Gazette Wednesday, September 26, 2007 [Jane DeVille-Almond] A fat-fighting campaigner from England has flown into Bermuda to help tackle alarming obesity rates. Jane DeVille-Almond, a director of the UK's National Obesity Forum, is on the Island for a series of workshops launched yesterday as part of Government's Healthy Weight Action Plan.
Read more...

The Scotsman & Herald 25 September 2007 [David Haslam & Colin Waine]

SCOTLAND comes second only to the United States as the most overweight nation in the world, according to new statistics that reveal one in four Scottish adults is classified as obese. The study warned the "obesity epidemic" in Scotland must be urgently addressed and described the issue as a "major public-health problem". The report by the Scottish Public Health Observatory (SPHO) said that, since 1995, obesity had increased in the adult population by 46 per cent; it was particularly bad among men aged 35-64 and women of 35-44.

Brits “ dying not to exercise “

BBC 17 September 2007 [David Haslam]
[abridged]

Most UK adults are so unwilling to exercise that not even the threat of an early death is enough to get them off the sofa, a survey suggests. Only 38% of people questioned in a YouGov poll said that they would do more exercise of their life depended on it. British Heart Foundation figures show only a third of people manage to enough exercise to achieve the minimum recommended amount. Experts warned inactivity is dangerous even in those who are a healthy weight.

Pregnant women to get cash for good diet

The Observer 09 September 2007 [Tam Fry] All expectant mothers are to be given a one-off payment of around £120 that they will be encouraged to spend on fresh fruit and vegetables as a way of protecting their children from diseases and incurable conditions later in life.
Read more...

How fat became a weighty problem for corporate world

The Observer 09 September 2007 [David Haslam]

The obesity epidemic will cost Britain £7bn by 2010. Now firms are taking action to combat the problem themselves. Fat is an economic issue. According to the World Health Organisation, the world's largest chronic health problem is not HIV/Aids but obesity. Shockingly, more people are overweight (1 billion) than starving (800 million). Ten per cent of six-year-olds and 17 per cent of 15-year-olds are obese - and for the first time in 200 years, children could die younger than their parents.

3 kids in care for being fat

News of the World 09 September 2007 [Colin Waine]

THREE children have been taken away from their parents and put into council care because they are TOO FAT. Experts said they were dangerously overweight for their age and feared for their long-term health. And social workers argued their parents were guilty of NEGLECT because they were unable or unwilling to help their kids to lose weight. But the three cases may be just the tip of an iceberg because local authorities do not always list obesity as the reason children are taken into care. They are lumped in with figures for abuse and neglect. The plight of the three overweight children was revealed after we made a request under the Freedom of Information Act. It follows the storm over Connor McCreaddie, eight, who was nearly taken into care earlier this year when he reached a staggering 14 stone. After an outcry, Connor, from Wallsend, near Newcastle upon Tyne, was allowed to stay at home with mum Nicola.

TV/video games and child obesity

Trust for America's Health 2007 Annual Report September [Colin Waine]

Over 45% of Americas 12 - 17 year olds spent more than two hours per day glued to a screen, more than 1 in 7 children are overweight. The state by state analysis suggests hope for new research using video games to increase physical activity. Researchers in the UK have turned to America as the source of information to extend a study carried out last month observing children's attitudes and choices in exercise. The figures highlighted by the "F as in Fat" annual report [Trust for America's Health 2007 Annual Report] were retrieved from the Data Resource Center on Child and Adolescent Health website. The analysis of these figures reveals a strong positive correlation between hours spent on TV/Video game play and the percentage of children classed as overweight per state.

'Don't lose weight after heart attack'

Daily Telegraph 05 September 2007 [David Haslam]

Obese patients who have had a heart attack should not lose try to lose weight, a doctor said yesterday. The idea is set to divide the medical community because heart patients are routinely told to lose weight and lead a healthier lifestyle to prevent further attacks. Prof Stefan Anker, of the Royal Brompton Hospital in London, said ''once the damage is done'' it is better to remain overweight because the extra calories protect the body.

Gene to check obesity

BBC 05 September 2007 [David Haslam]

A single gene can keep in check the tendency to pile on fat, scientists have shown. The University of Texas team manipulated the gene, called adipose, to alter the amount of fat tissue laid down by fruit flies, worms and mice. If the same effect could be achieved in humans, which also carry the gene, it is hoped it could lead to new ways to fight obesity and diabetes. The study is published in the journal Cell Metabolism

Unfit men prefer cosmetic surgery to exercise

Sunday Telegraph September 2nd 2007 [David Haslam]

They shun exercise, feed on junk food, and generally live couch-potato lives, but millions of men still think their bodies can be saved - with cosmetic surgery. Almost half of men take no regular exercise and eat appallingly, a survey for The Sunday Telegraph has shown. Yet a staggering one in four said they would consider surgery to improve their looks. The survey showed that 41 per cent of men do no physical activity beyond travelling to work and chores around the house and garden. Meanwhile, 46 per cent admitted to eating more ready meals and takeaways than they had a decade ago. Yet many said they would consider cosmetic treatment to tackle the effects of hard living: 23 per cent said they would have plastic surgery.

Why obese say everyone's to blame but themselves

Evening Standard 22 August 2007 [Colin Waine]

Being unhappy. Being happy. Friends who eat like a horse and never put on weight. Childhood admonishments to think of the starving in Africa. These are some of the reasons the overweight give to explain their size because they are too ashamed to admit they simply eat too much, according to a study. Researchers found there is such a stigma attached to being overweight that over-eaters are desperate to find something - or someone - else to blame. The findings mirror comments by Hamish Meldrum, the head of the British Medical Association, who said patients were increasingly seeking weight-loss pills and surgery rather than trying to change their diet and do more exercise.

Cold virus makes you fat, say scientists

Daily Telegraph 21 August 2007 [Tam Fry]

A vaccine to cut the risk of becoming overweight could be ready for testing within the next five years, according to research that suggests obesity can sometimes be catching. A common virus may be one factor that contributes to the obesity epidemic sweeping the west, according to the research in the United States. Although obesity is primarily linked to eating too many calories or burning too few, other factors may play a role, from lack of sleep to changes in stomach bacteria and now a common cold virus.

Video games that could improve the health of your children as they play

Western Mail 20 August 2007 [Colin Waine]

The computer games console has been blamed for creating a generation of couch potato children who shun outdoor play. But research today suggests video games could become the latest weapon in the fight against childhood obesity, amid estimates that 8.5% of six-year-olds and one in six of 15-year-olds in Wales are obese. The study found children are six times more likely to take exercise if it is combined with video games. Health experts believe the experiment, carried out under laboratory conditions, represents a step forward in working towards reducing childhood obesity.

Exercise ’must be tough to work’

The Guardian 17 August [David Haslam]

To be healthy, you really do need to break into a sweat when you exercise, say experts. American College of Sports Medicine members are concerned official advice to do 30 minutes of gentle exercise each day is being misconstrued. Some may take this to include a mere stroll to the car, Circulation reports. People should do at least 30 minutes of moderate exercise five days a week, or 20 minutes of vigorous exercise, like jogging, three days a week, they say.

Children need fat as part of a healthy diet

Daily Telegraph 16 August 2007 [Tam Fry]

Parents should not restrict their children to low-fat diets despite concerns about obesity, experts said today. Fat can be included as part of a healthy and balanced diet and has an important role in helping youngsters grow, they said. The message, published as part of a new study, comes a day after pregnant women were warned that upping their intake of fatty and sugary food could put their child at risk of obesity. Children exposed to "maternal junk food" in the womb or early in life may find it harder to resist an unhealthy diet as they grow older, that study said.

Babies overfed due to outdated growth charts

Daily Telegraph 14 August 2007 [Tam Fry]

British parents have been overfeeding their babies for a generation because of inaccurate growth charts. Charts used by health visitors and GPs are based on bottle fed babies and encourages rapid weight gains which has fuelled the childhood obesity epidemic, experts said today.

The World Health Organisation has revised the charts based on breast fed babies which encourage a slower, healthier growth pattern. The new charts were issued 18 months ago and today the Department of Health has announced it will trial them.

Obese under report sugar intake

BBC 13 August 2007 [Colin Waine]

Scientists at the Medical Research Council have found that eating more sugar is associated with obesity. Although this may seem obvious, previous studies, which relied on self-reporting of diet, had not shown that this was the case. But researchers from the Medical Research Council and University of Cambridge looking into the links between diet and cancer have developed a new way of objectively measuring sugar consumption. This is important in establishing the cause of the UK’s epidemic of obesity: lack of exercise or over-eating.

700,000 obese Britons need stomach stapling

Sunday Telegraph 12 August 2007 [Colin Waine]

Almost 700,000 people are so fat that they need drastic surgery to tackle their weight problems, the Government's health watchdog has found Despite the scale of the obesity crisis, primary care trusts (PCTs), fearful that the £3 billion cost of the operations would cripple the NHS, are restricting surgery to the most desperate cases. Last year, fewer than 5,000 such operations were performed.

Modern living to blame for cancer epidemic

Daily Mail 10 August 2007 [Colin Waine]

Binge drinking, reckless sunbathing and overeating are fuelling a massive rise in cancer, experts warn. In a shocking report, they have laid bare the deadly consequences of increasingly hedonistic modern lifestyles. Cases of mouth cancer, which is associated with smoking and drinking, have increased by almost a quarter. Malignant melanoma - the most dangerous form of skin cancer - is up by 43 per cent in ten years as warnings to stay out of the sun are ignored. Kidney cancer, which is much more common in smokers and the overweight, is also on the rise, the report shows. Rates of another disease linked to obesity, womb cancer, went up by a fifth.

Diet food 'may fuel obesity risk'

BBC 09 August 2007 [Colin Waine]

Diet foods for children may inadvertently lead to overeating and obesity, say researchers. * In tests on young rats, animals given low-calorie versions of foods were induced to overeat, whether they were lean or obese. The researchers believe low-calorie versions of usually high-calorie foods disrupt the body's ability to use taste to regulate calorific intake. The University of Alberta study appears in the journal Obesity

Carrots taste better in McDonald’s wrapping

Daily Mail 07 August 2007 [Tam Fry]

Children find food in McDonald's packaging up to six times more appetising than the identical snacks in plain wrappers, research shows. The study, designed to gauge the power of advertising, revealed that boys and girls as young as three found food tastier when they thought it was made by a big brand. The phenomenon is not just restricted to fast foods, with youngsters finding that milk and carrots tastier when they believed they had been bought at McDonald's.

Fat and greedy, doctor? No, just human

The Times 06 Aug 2007

Dr Hamish Meldrum, the head of the British Medical Association, thinks that obese people are “greedy”. His word choice is troublesome, to say the least. “Greedy” is a moral word implying taking more than you need and thus depriving other people. So, because obese people eat lots, there’s less for me? Hardly. Perhaps he is talking about greediness in terms of the NHS (this is not implied, much less spelled out). By that token, he might talk about smokers and drinkers as greedy. He doesn’t. In this context, the word is loaded with simple distaste for fat and all that it implies — ugliness, unsightliness and so on. He might as well have added “porky” for good measure.

Obesity surgery guidance

BBC 05 August 2007 [D avid Haslam]

Anaesthetists have been given guidance on dealing with very obese patients amid safety concerns. Latest figures show over a fifth of UK men and women are obese and 2.9% of women and 1% of men are obese to the point that it threatens their health. Yet many hospitals still do not have necessary kit, such as strong beds, for heavy weight patients. The Association of Anaesthetists of Great Britain and Ireland says better planning is needed to a void disasters.

Fat people are just greedy, says BMA chief

The Telegraph 03 August 2007 [David Haslam]

The head of the British Medical Association has sparked a row after claiming that fat people are simply greedy. Dr Hamish Meldrum was reported yesterday as saying doctors over-medicalise the condition. Obesity experts rounded on him saying his remarks were unhelpful and anachronistic. Latest thinking suggests that genetics could be responsible for between 30% - 70% of cases. Dr Meldrum said an obsession with labels may be stopping overweight people from tackling their problems. He said: "We are saying 'This patient has a hyper-appetite problem' rather than 'They are just greedy'."

Half of all boys will be obese, warns leaked report

The Observer 29 July 2007 [Tam Fry]

The government's pledge to halt the soaring rate of childhood obesity within three years in fact cannot be achieved until 2050, warns a damning report commissioned by ministers to help them tackle the problem. The number of six- to 10-year-olds who become obese will keep rising relentlessly until the late 2040s, with as many as half of all primary school-age boys and one in five girls dangerously overweight by 2050, according to the document.

Weight change between births ‘can harm you and your baby’

The Times 27 July 2007 [Tam Fry]

Mothers who gain or lose a great deal of weight between pregnancies could be putting themselves and their babies at risk, experts have said. Even quite small changes in body mass index (BMI), of one or two units, between pregnancies are enough to have effects, say Jennifer Walsh and Deirdre Murphy, two obstetricians from Dublin. An increase of this size has been linked with a doubling of the risks of high blood pressure, preeclampsia, and having a large baby. Greater increases in weight between pregnancies add to the risk of stillbirth and other complications, they say in an editorial in the British Medical Journal.

The risks of having a fat friend

Western Mail 26 July 2007 [Colin Waine]

HAVING an obese friend dramatically increases the risk of becoming similarly fat, researchers said last night. They described obesity as a “socially contagious” problem which can spread from person to person in a social network. The study found that if one person becomes obese, those closely connected to them have a greater chance of becoming obese themselves.

MEND on “Newsnight”

July 9th & 23rd 2007

BBC2’s “ Newsnight ” programme covered the highly successful children’s weightloss programme, MEND, twice in July as part of its Broken Society strand. The two-part coverage is currently available on:- http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/newsnight/default.stm

NOF encourages you to watch both halves before the BBC inevitably rotates them for later stories in the “ Newsnight recommends “ slot. Each is only 15 minutes long so fitting it into your schedule should not be a problem. Congratulations to MEND for ensuring such sympathetic coverage.

Working mums: obese kids

Independent on Sunday 22 July 2007 [Colin Waine]

Middle-class mothers who work long hours increase the risk of their offspring being overweight or obese, according to an astonishing new study. Research revealed by The Independent on Sunday for the first time will turn perceived wisdom on its head with the revelation that the nation's higher-paid working mothers bear much of the responsibility for the country's ticking obesity time bomb, and not the poorer working-class families who are usually blamed. More shockingly, the risk of childhood obesity soars in direct correlation with family income. Children in families where household income is greater than £33,000 are significantly more likely to be overweight or obese than youngsters from families with the lowest incomes, the new study shows. And in higher income households, the longer a mother worked each week, the greater the risk of the child being overweight.

Shame game “losing “ war on obesity

Scotland on Sunday 22 July 2007 [Colin Waine]

Radical moves to cut child obesity, such as fast food bans in schools and lunchbox inspections, have been slammed as "mean-spirited, knee-jerk reactions" designed "to take the pleasure out of life", according to an influential Scottish think tank. The Scottish Council Foundation will this week urge politicians to rethink their so-called 'war on obesity', arguing that there is little evidence that harsh policies designed to increase exercise and improve diet actually work.

Obese children 'risk being stigmatised'

Daily Telegraph 18 July 07

Overweight schoolchildren are being put at risk of bullying by Government schemes designed to help them, a charity warns today. Pupils could be singled out and made fun of by thinner classmates when they are weighed as part of projects to cut childhood obesity, Parentline Plus claims. It says concerned parents have called its helpline to say they are worried their children are being stigmatised by the measurement programme, carried out by health workers in reception and Year 6 (age 10-11) classes in all schools. In a report today, Parentline Plus says that teachers who use statistics about pupils' weight in maths lessons are creating further opportunities for overweight children to be bullied.

Asthma and Obesity

BBC 17 July 2007 [David Haslam]

Researchers say they may have worked out why the obese are more prone to asthma than those of normal weight. The link between the two conditions is well-established, but the relationship is ill-understood. Now scientists at King's College London say they have pinned down a protein which contributes to inflammation of the lungs as well as increasing hunger. The study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences said further research was now needed.

Families fit stairlifts for obese kids

Western Mail 03 July 07 [Colin Waine]

THE Welsh obesity epidemic hit a new low yesterday as it emerged more and more families are creating downstairs bedrooms or fitting stairlifts for their obese children. The adaptations are being made for children with weight problems so bad they cannot cope with stairs. Extra-strong beds and chairs, as well as special bathroom and bedroom adaptations, are also in growing demand as the proportion of youngsters classed as obese increases. One company supplying equipment for obese people yesterday reported a dramatic drop in the age of the youngest people needing its products.

Yo-yo diet and obesity

Daily Mail 15 July 2007 [Colin Waine]

Women have been warned that yo-yo dieting can more than double the risk of developing kidney cancer. Scientists have found that women who repeatedly lose weight only to put it back on are at a significantly higher risk of the disease later in life. Experts have known for years that smoking and obesity are two of the main risk factors for kidney cancer. But the latest research suggests that "weight cycling" - as typified by the fluctuating shape of Geri Halliwell - may exert an even bigger influence on the disease than body size.

GPs throw out childhood obesity as “ abuse “ issue

June 26th 2007-07-02 NOF welcomes the decision taken at the BMA Annual Representative Meeting in Torquay not to call for the prosecution of parents of obese children for neglect [see The Scotsman 09 June 007 below] The motion was too sweeping and simplistic.
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Crisps are veg and so is bread – that’s what children think

The Scotsman 22 June 2007 [Colin Waine]

ONE in six Scottish children count crisps as a part of their five-a-day fruit and veg intake, according to a report that shows the extent of ignorance among young people into what constitutes healthy eating. In Scotland, 13 per cent of children count sliced bread as a vegetable portion and 17 per cent include low-fat crisps, well above the national average.

NHS spending £38m a year on anti-obesity drugs in England

Daily Mail 20 June 2007 [David Haslam] The NHS in England is spending over £38 million a year on drugs to fight obesity, a new study shows. Researchers found a massive increase in the number of pills being prescribed and the cost to the health service. GP prescriptions for fat-busting pills soared from just 20,000 in 1998 to a record 880,000 in 2005.
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Doctors: Obese children could be put into care

Daily Telegraph 15 June 2007 [Colin Waine] also see The Scotsman coverage 09 June 2007 Obese children under the age of 12 should be placed on the child protection register if social services believe their health is at risk, doctors said yesterday. In the most extreme cases, medics believe they should also be taken away from their parents and put into care.
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Popular drug is a “ suicide risk “

London Evening Standard 15 June 2007 [David Haslam]

A weight loss pill used by thousands of Britons has been branded a suicide risk by drug safety officials. More than 10,000 Britons are believed to be using the prescription-only drug Acomplia, which can help dieters lose up to ten per cent of their body weight. Hailed as an important weapon in the war against obesity, it interferes with the part of the brain involved with cravings.

Obesity is “ rising relentlessly “

12 June 2007 [Colin Waine] The relentless rise of obesity shows no signs of abating. That is the conclusion made today by Colin Waine on behalf of the Forum, and quoted widely this morning. The organisation believes that "concerted government action" and a shift in people's attitudes are key to making a real change.
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Could a change in diet reverse diabetes?

Daily Mail 11 June 23007 [David Haslam]

We're fatter and unhealthier than ever - and one of the consequences is a soaring rate of type 2 diabetes. The condition affects nearly three million people in the UK and costs the NHS £3.5billion annually, an amount expected to double in the next five years. Yet it's now being claimed that with the right diet, thousands of patients could effectively "cure" themselves, without the need for drugs. All doctors advise using diet to help lower blood sugar, but what makes the new claim so controversial is the idea that the right sort of diet can actually reverse diabetes, cutting out the need for drugs altogether.

Experts say many Briton malnourished.

ABC News [USA] 10 June 2007 [Colin Waine]

Despite Britain's high obesity rates, millions of Britons may actually be malnourished, health authorities and nutrition experts say. While most malnourished people have an underlying medical condition, experts say the poor state of the average British diet - often high in fat, salt and calories, but low on essential vitamins and minerals - means there are increasing numbers of people with nutritional deficiencies who may otherwise appear normal. The Department of Health says at least 2 million Britons are likely to be malnourished. Many nutrition experts put the figure as high as 4 million, about 6 percent of Britain's population.

Prosecute parents of obese children for neglect, says doctor

The Scotsman 09 June 2007-06-11 [Tam Fry]

Obesity in children under 12 should be considered parental neglect, a doctor claims. Dr Matthew Capehorn contends that medics should take the same approach when faced with a child who is obese as they would with one who is severely malnourished. In the worst cases, he said, social services should be called in if a child's health was at risk because of their weight.

Did microwaves ‘ spark ‘ obesity?

BBC 07 June 2007 [David Haslam]

The Cheltenham Science Festival heard to-day that the launch of microwaves around 1984 may have kick-started the obesity epidemic. The comment was made by Professor Jane Wardle, professor of clinical psychology at University College London, in a debate to determine when the nation’s waistline began to expand and what the trigger was. During the debate a number of other triggers were cited by obesity specialists including the introduction of supermarkets and the the end of the Second World War.

Mothers who switched from breast to bottle “ were misled “

The Times 30^th May 2007 [Tam Fry]

Thousands of women are inadvertently overfeeding their babies because ministers and health advisers have delayed the introduction of new child growth charts. The charts, produced by the World Health Organisation (WHO), have been available for more than a year, but the Government has made no decision on when to introduce them, Tam Fry said. The new charts are based exclusively on breast-fed babies, who grow more slowly in the first year of life. The charts currently in use classify many breast-fed babies as underweight, encouraging their mothers to take to bottle-feed-ing. This helped to create overweight children and to fuel the obesity epidemic, Mr Fry said.

GPs accused of ignoring obesity drug side effects

Evening Standard, London May 21^st 2007 [Colin Waine]

Doctors may be jeopardising patients' health by giving out 'quick fix' anti-obesity drugs. The treatments - which are prescribed up to a million times a year - have been linked to increased blood pressure and diarrhoea. The side effects can be even worse if the drugs are not combined with a low-fat diet. Prescriptions for the two main anti- obesity medicines, orlistat and sibutramine - marketed as Xenical and Reductil - have soared in recent years. Annual orlistat prescriptions rose from 17,800 to 646,700 between 1998 and 2005 - a 36-fold increase. Sibutramine prescriptions have risen four-fold from 2001 to reach 227,000 a year.

“ Counterweight “ does work!

Glasgow Herald May 14^th 2007 [Colin Waine]

This groundbreaking NHS weight loss programme now in use in some of Scotland's most deprived communities in Lanarkshire, Lothian and Tayside - as well as some communities in England - has helped obese patients lose weight and saved the NHS cash, research has revealed. The news follows demands from Scottish GPs that lifestyle issues such as obesity are removed from their incentive pay scheme.

New evidence links E-numbers to hyperactivity

Daily Telegraph May 09th 2007 [Tam Fry]

Parents were told yesterday to avoid artificial colours commonly found in sweets and soft drinks amid growing fears over their effect on children's behaviour. New research backed by the Government is believed to have established a fresh link between the additives and hyperactivity, restlessness and tantrums. Research commissioned by the Food Standards Agency analysed the effect of seven synthetic colourings and preservatives found in dozens of products.

How we are eating ourselves ill

Independent May 08th 2007 [Colin Waine] We are fat. We know that. Chefs and doctors, footballers and even popstars tell us over and over again, in campaigns against the obesity epidemic. But now new data shows that an alarming number of us actually suffer from malnutrition.
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Millions in danger of being too fat for NHS surgery

Evening Standard, London April 30th 2007 [Colin Waine]

Millions of patients could be denied some NHS treatments because they are overweight or smoke. The controversial policy has already been adopted by around one in ten hospitals - many of them battling to claw back huge cash deficits. Health Secretary Patricia Hewitt has stirred the row further, saying a ban on surgery to replace problem joints is "perfectly legitimate". Doctors say the risks of operating on obese patients are higher and the treatment may be less effective, with new hips and knees wearing out sooner. Smokers can have a higher risk of complications.

The UK MEND programme gets international plaudits

European Congress on Obesity April 22nd -25th 2007 Budapest, Hungary

NOF is delighted to congratulate its Board member, Dr Paul Sacher, on the huge reception that his research underpinning MEND received in Budapest. MEND [Mind, Exercise, Nutrition and Do it!] is fast becoming “the “ prevention and treatment programmes for overweight and obese children and is being rolled out to 300 sites across the UK. This roll-out has been made possible by £7.9m and £3m grants from the Big Lottery Fund and Sainsbury’s respectively and is now the largest programme of its kind in the world. Access www.mendprogramme.org to-day to read up about it or enrol in.

National Child Measurement Programme

Department of Health April 2007

The NOF position on this revised guidance governing the measurement of children’s heights and weights in Reception Yr and Yr 6 in UK primary schools is that you should “ buy “ it – warts and all. It is by no means a perfect document but it is strides ahead of the 2006 guidance, “Measuring Childhood Obesity “, which resulted in only 48% of the target children being measured. Notably, the word “ obesity “ is nowhere to be found in the narrative of the new document.

NICE is not as nice as NOF would like it to be

Guidelines April 2007

Colin Waine has politely referred to the NICE document, “ Obesity: guidance on the prevention. identification, identification, assessment and management of overweight and obesity in adults and children: Clinical Guidelines 43 “ as a document worthy of study and one which should be broadly welcomed [NOF News Review, February 2007] However, writing a Personal View in the April issue of this GP magazine, David Haslam argues that it is still just more discussion when decisive action is what is actually required.

Obesity cure “ in the womb “

Metro April 22nd [David Haslam] Children can be stopped from becoming obese by treating them with a supplement before they are born, new research suggests. They could be helped in the womb by giving their mothers leptin, a hormone which suppresses the appetite, tests on rats show. Baby rats given the chemical also remained lean, even when later fed a high-fat diet.
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Fat Torment Telly Rapped

People April 22nd [Colin Waine]

A new BBC reality series which will show overweight teenagers being forced to hunt for food in the Australian Outback has been blasted by an expert.

Dr Colin Wayne said "Exploiting a serious medical condition like this is despicable." Producers are searching for 10 fat youngsters for "Fat Teens Can’t Hunt ".

Health backlash feared over 'fat gene' find

Western Mail April 14^th [Tam Fry]

THE discovery of a "fat gene" could lead to obese people giving up trying to lose weight, experts warned yesterday. It could mean obese people will blame the gene for struggling with their weight - rather than eating properly and exercising. New research has found a common gene, named FTO, found in millions of Britons could be largely responsible for exploding rates of obesity.

Compulsory trainers and trousers - a new plan to combat obesity among schoolgirls

Guardian April 10^th [David Haslam] Girls at primary school should be made to wear trousers and trainers and football should be banned from sections of the playground to encourage girls to stay active for longer and help tackle obesity, according to a new study.
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Obesity epidemic feeds demands for 52-inch school uniform

BBC Scotland April 10^th 2007 [Tam Fry] Britain’s largest special schoolwear retailer has expanded its range of outsize uniforms for sale “ off the peg “ in response to growing demands from parents who are struggling to find clothes to fit their overweight children.
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NOF spokespeople first to comment at start of junk food ad bans

BBC April 1st 2007 Junk food adverts have been banned from television when programmes aimed at young children are being shown. The new rule means adverts for food and drinks high in fat, salt or sugar cannot be broadcast around shows aimed at four to nine-year-olds. Some TV channels and advertisers fear the ban - introduced over fears about childhood obesity - is too harsh.
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A pill to help you drop a dress size in weeks

Daily Mail March 29^th 2007

An over-the- counter pill which fights obesity could go on sale in Britain next year. Slimmers who take an Alli tablet with every meal typically lose 50 per cent more weight than those who rely solely on willpower. The drug - the first of its kind to be sold without prescription - apparently cuts weight by 5 per cent in only four months. Alli is a clinically-proven alternative to these hyped quick-fix products that mislead overweight adults away from weight-loss strategies that are backed by medical science.'

Deny Surgery to Obese and Smokers, Says Hewitt

Cybercast News Service March 22^nd 2007

Health Secretary Patricia Hewitt said in a newspaper interview this week she approved of doctors refusing overweight patients knee and hip surgery, until they lose weight a leading government minister here says grossly overweight people should be denied surgery. Hewitt also said smokers should have to give up the habit before they are allowed to undergo surgery such as heart bypasses under the NHS. Overweight patients and smokers should be given access to programs that will help them lose weight and quit smoking, she said.

How to Turn a Fat Boy Slim

Tesco March 15^th –

A specialised website, http://www.tescodiets/forhim,, has been launched to allow men discreetly to lose weight. The move comes as a result of the 200% increase over the last six months in the number of men signing up to an existing site targeted at women. Until now, it has been very difficult for man to find a suitable way to lose weight as the diet industry is so targeted towards women.

Parents "don’t recognise obesity"

BBC - Dr David Haslam The government is launching a plan to tackle obesity by helping parents recognise the warning signs that their children are overweight. It follows a claim by the Medical Research Council that many people do not know their children are overweight.
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Most Britains will be obese by 2030

Daily Mail - Dr Colin Waine

Record numbers will be so grossly overweight that they will die from strokes, heart attacks and cancers, according to estimates. The number with type two diabetes, which is caused almost exclusively by fat, is due to increase as much as tenfold to 19 million. The disease is thought to reduce life expectancy by at least eight years. It can also lead to blindness, heart attacks, strokes, kidney failure and even amputation.

Research grant available

As a result of a partnership arrangement with Weight Watchers the NOF will, in the near future, be inviting application for a research grant(s) to the value of £8,000.
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