News

NIHR funds research projects to tackle obesity in children and adults

25 January 2012

The National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) is funding nine research projects that aim to address the health burden and economic impact brought about by obesity.

It is estimated that almost one in four adults is affected by obesity in the UK, and it is known to be associated with the development of other medical conditions, such as diabetes and heart disease. Reducing levels of obesity within society is a government priority.

Nine successful projects were identified through a cross-programme themed call co-ordinated by the NIHR, which commenced with an initial consultation in 2009. This brought together over 100 interested representatives from the NHS, academic, local authority and voluntary sectors. A total of twenty full applications were considered by the NIHR Health Technology Assessment (HTA) programme and nine applications by the NIHR Public Health Research (PHR) programme.

The Chair of the HTA Obesity Board, Professor Andrew Farmer said, "this is an important area and we received a large number of applications. We funded the projects we judged to be scientifically robust and crucially have the most impact".

Within the HTA programme, a new clinical trial, led by Professor Julian Hamilton-Shield of the University of Bristol, is investigating the eating habits linked to childhood obesity.

Professor Hamilton-Shield says, "The ComMando study will investigate the potential of a novel device, Mandolean, to teach overweight children to eat more slowly. Delivered in GP surgeries, the Mandolean aims to encourage improved control of portion size, and extra weight loss above that achieved with conventional nutritional and activity advice alone."

Research funded through the PHR programme includes the Football Fans in Training weight loss project, led by Professor Sally Wyke at the University of Glasgow. It is assessing whether Scottish Premier League football clubs can attract and encourage men between 35-65 years old to lose weight and live more healthy lifestyles.

"The Football Fans in Training has really captured the imagination of football fans across Scotland. Many participants say the programme has been a completely life changing experience for them and the trial will show whether they are able to maintain a 5-10% weight loss over 12 months. The programme has won two awards already and it is fantastic to be able to work in partnership with the SPL Trust and 13 Scottish Football Clubs to produce a robust evaluate as a randomised controlled trial" explains Professor Wyke.