Fat Britain: Who is responsible for tackling the UK's obesity epidemic?

Debate on the current issues in tackling the obesity epidemic in the UK

Free event at Wellcome Collection Tuesday 30 October

29 October 2007

The recent Government Foresight report on obesity suggests that by 2050 more than half the population of the country will be obese, costing a potential £46 billion to society. To coincide with the report, the public will have a unique opportunity to raise questions in reaction at a free and lively event at Wellcome Collection, London's latest cultural venue, tomorrow Tuesday 30 October.

Britain is getting fatter and in 15 years 86 per cent of men will be overweight. Are we to blame? Is our Government? Are our food manufacturers or our town planners? What should be done and by whom?

Join invited guests - Susan Jebb from the Medical Research Council, Harald Schmidt from the Nuffield Council of Bioethics, obesity counselor Louise Diss and broadcaster Vivienne Parry – in a potentially heated debate about the ethics of action.

Visitors will also have the chance to explore the 'Medicine Now' gallery, which has an obesity area including John Isaacs' 'I Can't Help The Way I Feel' - a 2.5 metre high sculpture portraying a body of fat that seemingly envelopes its own head. Both huge and gruesome, monstrous and pathetic, it provides shocking potency and a timely resonance to the debate over obesity.

"The Government's recent report is extremely worrying, and the challenges of how to deal with obesity in this country will be with us for some time to come," explains Ken Arnold, Head of Public Programmes at the Wellcome Trust. "This event at Wellcome Collection will tackle the issues head on, allowing the public to speak directly with the experts in the field and take part in a lively debate about a complex problem."

Susan Jebb from the Medical Research Council comments: "The Foresight report makes clear that preventing obesity goes beyond simple messages to individuals to eat less and do more. As a society we have collectively prioritised abundant, cheap food over high-quality food and built our towns and cities to favour cars over walking and cycling. As a consequence, excess weight gain is the norm throughout most of life. To turn the tide we must rethink our choices as a nation, not just as individuals."

To book tickets for 'Fat Britain: Who is responsible for tackling the UK's obesity epidemic?' please call 020 7611 2222 or email the number of tickets you require, together with your full name and telephone number, to events@wellcomecollection.org.

Further details of the Foresight report

Details of speakers

Louise Diss
Louise has a wealth of experience of working in the public and voluntary sectors as a psychiatric social worker and trainer. Prior to taking up her recently left post as Development Worker for TOAST (The Obesity Awareness and Solutions Trust). she worked as an obesity counsellor and, with her own experience, she has a clear understanding of the physical and emotional effects that obesity can have on individuals.

Susan Jebb
Susan Jebb trained in nutrition and dietetics prior to a PhD at the MRC Dunn Nutrition Unit. She has a particular interest in the role of dietary factors in the aetiology and treatment of obesity and its related metabolic diseases. Her research team specialises in highly controlled dietary intervention studies. Susan also leads the communication team, which focuses on the translation of nutrition science into policy and practice, working with policymakers, industry, health professionals, NGOs and the media.

Susan is current Chair of the Department of Health Interim Expert Group on Obesity, Expert Adviser to the Cabinet Office Strategy Review on Food and a member of the FSA Expert Review Panel on Nutrient Profiling.

Harald Schmidt
Harald Schmidt studied philosophy, history and linguistics at the Universities of Bremen, Oxford and Muenster. Since May 2002 he has been Assistant Director of the Nuffield Council on Bioethics. His work is centred around organising and running Working Parties and representing the Council to professional bodies and the public. His most recent project at the Council concerns a report on the ethics of public health. Current personal research interests concern individual responsibility for health (part-time PhD at the LSE, Social Policy and Philosophy Department).

Vivienne Parry
Vivienne is a writer and broadcaster, and a scientist by training. She writes and host many series for Radio 4 including 'Am I Normal?' and 'Inside the Ethics Committee', and is the medical science columnist of the 'Times' Body and Soul section. She previously presented 'Tomorrow's World', reported for 'Panorama' and was a columnist for the 'News of the World'. She is the writer in residence of the Foresight Tackling Obesities project.

Mike Findlay
Media Officer
Wellcome Trust
T +44 (0)20 7611 8612
E m.findlay@wellcome.ac.uk

The Wellcome Trust is the largest charity in the UK. It funds innovative biomedical research, in the UK and internationally, spending around £500 million each year to support the brightest scientists with the best ideas. The Wellcome Trust supports public debate about biomedical research and its impact on health and wellbeing.

The Wellcome Trust's former headquarters, the Wellcome Building on London's Euston Road, has been redesigned by Hopkins Architects to become a new £30 million public venue. Free to all, Wellcome Collection explores the connections between medicine, life and art in the past, present and future. The building comprises three galleries, a public events space, the Wellcome Library, a café, a bookshop, conference facilities and a members' club.