May 27, 2004

scientists respond to Commons report on obesity

Experts responded to the publication of the House of Commons Health Committee report on obesity.

Steve O’Rahilly, Head of Department and Professor of Clinical Biochemistry and Medicine at Cambridge University, said:

“We need to inject a degree of honesty into this debate and be a little more humble in the face of the real uncertainties about the causes of obesity. Paradoxically, obesity is both the simplest and most complex of human disorders – it’s as simple as “energy in” minus “energy out” equals “energy stored”. However, measuring these in real “free range” humans with the precision needed to make meaningful statements is incredibly difficult. Any expert who claims to know for certain the relative importance of increased food intake verses decreased energy expenditure in causing the recent increase in obesity is deluding themselves. Additionally, ignoring the role of inherited factors in determining people’s susceptibility to becoming fat is not only bad science, it also helps to perpetuate the blame culture which tends to permeate this field. If we applied more science and less political positioning we might get some clearer ideas for solutions.”

Steve Bloom, head of obesity research at Hammersmith Hospital, said:

“With 1,000 deaths a week from obesity in the UK there has to be a lot more research on how to regulate appetite. Few of us want, or have the time, to spend half an hour jogging every morning and I rather enjoy eating and don’t want to give it up! We need to know scientifically why we are getting fatter and what to do about it. This requires the government to put money where its mouth is.”

Dr Ian Campbell, President of the National Obesity Forum, said:

“The time has come to stop talking and start acting. Both personal and governmental responsibility must be acknowledged and the importance of both dietary restraint and increased activity accepted. The nation is waiting for clear leadership to bring about joined-up working between agencies in order to stop increasing obesity levels, to encourage and promote healthier lifestyles, and to enable those who wish treatment access to it.”

Dr Susan Jebb, Head of Nutrition and Health research at the Medical Research Council Human Nutrition Research (HNR) centre in Cambridge, said:

“This enquiry has already sparked huge interest and has raised awareness of obesity in the UK to unprecedented levels. The report marks the end of the beginning and we must now work to ensure that its recommendations are translated into real actions in government, industry, education and beyond.”

Professor Sue Fairweather-Tait, head of nutrition at the Institute of Food Research, said:

“The British population could miss out on the most exciting era for nutritional science including new opportunities for chronic disease prevention, because nutrition does not have a single champion in the UK. As yet, no research council or government department has made positive moves to take primary ownership of nutrition research in the UK.”

Jane Ogden, Reader in Health Psychology, Guys Kings and St Thomas’ School of Medicine, said:

“Changes in the environment are needed but resisted due to a fear of becoming a nanny state. The obesity epidemic may continue due to doing too little. It would be disastrous if it continued for fear of doing too much.”

Professor Ian Johnson, Head of the Institute of Food Research, said:

“Being overweight is a proven risk factor for cancer and increased obesity is therefore bound to increase the incidence of cancer throughout the population. But while action is needed, any measures to alleviate obesity must be based on rational scientific findings.” A spokesman for the British Nutrition Foundation said: “There’s no such thing as good foods and bad foods – only good diets and bad diets.”

Benet Middleton, Chief Executive of Diabetes UK, said:

“In the UK, around 2.5% of the population has Type 2 diabetes. Unless we take action now to encourage people to do more physical activity and eat a healthier diet we will follow the American example where at least 6% of the population has Type 2 diabetes. The potential long-term effect of this is frightening, both in terms of the impact on people and the cost of dealing with it.”

Andrew Prentise, Professor of International Nutrition at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, said:

“Many of the most important public health advances in history have been driven by firm but benign government actions. I urge the Government to take a braver and more determined lead. The accusation of ‘nanny statism’ seems to be used to intimidate government. It would be a shame if our elected government should allow itself to be bullied into inaction. Obesity is a normal biological response to an abnormal environment – we must therefore re-engineer the environment.”