A randomised controlled trial to test the effectiveness of a brief intervention for weight management for obese adults in primary care.
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Oxford
Department Name: Primary Care Health Sciences
Abstract
Obesity, a major cause of chronic disease, affects 25% of adults. Even a small loss of weight is likely to reduce the risk of chronic diseases occurring, such as diabetes that are the consequence of being overweight. We can use lessons learnt from tobacco control and apply these to obesity. GPs make unsolicited brief interventions frequently on smoking and problem drinking, which are known to be effective in changing patients' behaviour. A key aim of the smoking cessation brief interventions is to refer patients to the NHS Stop Smoking Service, which treated 750,000 people last year in England. Available data suggest GPs rarely bring up weight issues opportunistically and do not know what they could say that would be helpful. Available data also suggest patients who are overweight would like more advice on this from their doctors.
Recent evidence has shown that attending a commercial weight management service, such as Weight Watchers, is more effective than any other widely available alternative weight loss intervention in primary care. In England, referral to commercial weight management is available free to patients on the NHS voucher scheme or equivalent.
We therefore propose a trial in which GPs will bring up the issue of weight with patients presenting to their GP for reasons other than weight management. Patients will be randomised to one of two interventions. In the control group, the GP will encourage weight loss because this will benefit health. In the intervention group, GPs will advocate referral to a weight management service and make that referral immediately. They will also offer a review about a month later to check progress. The main outcome will be weight loss at one year, but we will also record participants' and GPs' reactions to both types of interventions.
The trial results could make the case for brief interventions for obese people consulting their GP and introduce widespread simple treatments akin to the effective NHS Stop Smoking Service. The intervention makes only very modest demands on a GP's time and skills. If successful and implemented widely, it will increase a GP's engagement with weight loss and maintenance. Likewise, the intervention could be introduced into the GP pay for performance scheme and could influence practice worldwide.
Recent evidence has shown that attending a commercial weight management service, such as Weight Watchers, is more effective than any other widely available alternative weight loss intervention in primary care. In England, referral to commercial weight management is available free to patients on the NHS voucher scheme or equivalent.
We therefore propose a trial in which GPs will bring up the issue of weight with patients presenting to their GP for reasons other than weight management. Patients will be randomised to one of two interventions. In the control group, the GP will encourage weight loss because this will benefit health. In the intervention group, GPs will advocate referral to a weight management service and make that referral immediately. They will also offer a review about a month later to check progress. The main outcome will be weight loss at one year, but we will also record participants' and GPs' reactions to both types of interventions.
The trial results could make the case for brief interventions for obese people consulting their GP and introduce widespread simple treatments akin to the effective NHS Stop Smoking Service. The intervention makes only very modest demands on a GP's time and skills. If successful and implemented widely, it will increase a GP's engagement with weight loss and maintenance. Likewise, the intervention could be introduced into the GP pay for performance scheme and could influence practice worldwide.
Technical Summary
Obesity affects 25% of the UK's adult population but modest weight loss can reduce the incidence of obesity-related chronic disease. Some effective weight loss treatments exist but there is no nationally available NHS treatment service and GPs rarely discuss weight management with patients or support behaviour change. Evidence shows that commercial weight management services, that most PCTs have 'on prescription', are more effective than primary care treatment. We propose a controlled trial where patients will be randomised to receive either the offer of help by referral to a weight management service and follow-up to assess progress or advice to lose weight on medical grounds. The primary outcome will be weight change at 12-months. Other questions are: What actions do people take to manage their weight in response to the two GP intervention types? How do obese patients feel about GPs opportunistically discussing weight management and how does this vary by intervention type? How do GPs feel about raising the issue opportunistically and giving the two types of brief intervention? What is the cost per kg/m2 lost for each intervention? Research assistants visiting GP practices in the West Midlands (n=60) would objectively measure weight and height prior to GP consultations and randomise willing patients (BMI 30+, 18+ years) using sealed envelopes. Full recruitment (n=1824) is feasible in 46 weeks, requiring 6 sessions of advice-giving per GP. Participants will be contacted at 3-months (post intervention) via telephone, to identify actions they have taken to manage their weight. We will book appointments for participants to be seen at their GP practice for a 12-month follow-up. Trial results could make the case for brief interventions for obese people consulting their GP and introduce widespread simple treatments akin to the NHS Stop Smoking Service. Likewise, the intervention could be introduced in the Quality and Outcomes Framework and influence practice worldwide.
Planned Impact
The key non-academic beneficiaries are obese people with weight problems consulting their doctor, doctors, future commissioners of public health interventions, such as Public Health England and GP consortia, the National Institute of Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) (who oversee recommendations on health policy), the Department of Health, and providers of weight loss services.
People with weight problems report that they want their doctor to discuss this issue and help them manage their weight, but the available evidence suggests that doctors do this infrequently. Furthermore, interventions are generally focused on advice to lose weight, not on effective interventions. Should this intervention prove effective, this could lead to relatively rapid changes in clinical practice that will change the experience for patients. Currently most interventions doctors make focus on the consequences of obesity, such as treating hypertension or diabetes, where some treatments make weight loss harder. The results of this trial could introduce preventative medical action before people develop the complications of obesity, which people say that they want.
Doctors report a lack of knowledge and a corresponding lack of confidence in managing obesity. Although our research does not directly tackle this, depending on the results, it could provide doctors with an evidence-based management strategy that would increase their confidence to discuss weight issues with their patients.
Policy makers, represented by NICE and the various UK health departments are direct beneficiaries and hold the key to implementing the results of this research. NICE has published guidelines on the identification and management of obesity and is also responsible for the Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF) for GPs. The QOF currently rewards GPs for identifying obesity but not for any active management, unlike all other clinical areas, reflecting the gap in evidence that our trial would fill. Through our contacts with the NICE QOF process and because NICE guidelines are updated regularly, we believe that implementation of the results of this research will follow shortly after publication, if the results are positive.
Providers of weight loss services may benefit from the study findings if positive, because they would encourage doctors to refer to these services. It will be a decision for the NHS whether they wish to engage with any willing provider, the current policy, or develop its own NHS weight management services. These providers generate jobs and tax revenue within the UK.
The researchers will benefit. Amanda Lewis is a newly appointed post-doctoral worker and will work as co-PI alongside Paul Aveyard and other senior members of the investigator team, who are experienced in running trials in primary care. In so-doing, she will develop skills and experience that will allow her to develop as an independent researcher. We will also appoint a trial manager and it is our aspiration that s/he would register for a part-time PhD to use the data from the trial. In doing so, s/he would train in a UKCRC centre of excellence in public health research with a growing team of researchers in behavioural medicine. The link with the MRC Centre for Human Nutrition Research that this application embodies will also link with another UKCRC centre of excellence and a broader range of research on weight management.
More broadly, there are gains from prevention, such as reducing sickness absence, reduced health care costs, and improved health and quality of life.
People with weight problems report that they want their doctor to discuss this issue and help them manage their weight, but the available evidence suggests that doctors do this infrequently. Furthermore, interventions are generally focused on advice to lose weight, not on effective interventions. Should this intervention prove effective, this could lead to relatively rapid changes in clinical practice that will change the experience for patients. Currently most interventions doctors make focus on the consequences of obesity, such as treating hypertension or diabetes, where some treatments make weight loss harder. The results of this trial could introduce preventative medical action before people develop the complications of obesity, which people say that they want.
Doctors report a lack of knowledge and a corresponding lack of confidence in managing obesity. Although our research does not directly tackle this, depending on the results, it could provide doctors with an evidence-based management strategy that would increase their confidence to discuss weight issues with their patients.
Policy makers, represented by NICE and the various UK health departments are direct beneficiaries and hold the key to implementing the results of this research. NICE has published guidelines on the identification and management of obesity and is also responsible for the Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF) for GPs. The QOF currently rewards GPs for identifying obesity but not for any active management, unlike all other clinical areas, reflecting the gap in evidence that our trial would fill. Through our contacts with the NICE QOF process and because NICE guidelines are updated regularly, we believe that implementation of the results of this research will follow shortly after publication, if the results are positive.
Providers of weight loss services may benefit from the study findings if positive, because they would encourage doctors to refer to these services. It will be a decision for the NHS whether they wish to engage with any willing provider, the current policy, or develop its own NHS weight management services. These providers generate jobs and tax revenue within the UK.
The researchers will benefit. Amanda Lewis is a newly appointed post-doctoral worker and will work as co-PI alongside Paul Aveyard and other senior members of the investigator team, who are experienced in running trials in primary care. In so-doing, she will develop skills and experience that will allow her to develop as an independent researcher. We will also appoint a trial manager and it is our aspiration that s/he would register for a part-time PhD to use the data from the trial. In doing so, s/he would train in a UKCRC centre of excellence in public health research with a growing team of researchers in behavioural medicine. The link with the MRC Centre for Human Nutrition Research that this application embodies will also link with another UKCRC centre of excellence and a broader range of research on weight management.
More broadly, there are gains from prevention, such as reducing sickness absence, reduced health care costs, and improved health and quality of life.
Organisations
- University of Oxford (Lead Research Organisation)
- UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD (Collaboration)
- COVENTRY UNIVERSITY (Collaboration)
- UNIVERSITY OF LEICESTER (Collaboration)
- UNIVERSITY OF GLASGOW (Collaboration)
- Slimming World (Collaboration)
- Rosemary Conley Diet and Fitness Clubs (Collaboration)
- UNIVERSITY OF BIRMINGHAM (Collaboration)
- Medical Research Council (MRC) (Collaboration)
- Royal College of General Practitioners (Collaboration)
- University of Birmingham (Project Partner)
- South Birmingham PCT Trust (Project Partner)
Publications
Bourhill J
(2021)
What Makes Opportunistic GP Interventions Effective? An Analysis of Behavior Change Techniques Used in 237 GP-Delivered Brief Interventions for Weight Loss.
in Annals of behavioral medicine : a publication of the Society of Behavioral Medicine
Albury C
(2023)
Relationship Between Clinician Language and the Success of Behavioral Weight Loss Interventions A Mixed-Methods Cohort Study
in Annals of Internal Medicine
Tudor K
(2021)
Gender differences in response to an opportunistic brief intervention for obesity in primary care: Data from the BWeL trial.
in Clinical obesity
Lewis A
(2013)
Brief Interventions for Weight Loss in Primary Care
in Current Obesity Reports
Valabhji J
(2020)
Early Outcomes From the English National Health Service Diabetes Prevention Programme.
in Diabetes care
Tremblett M
(2023)
What advice do general practitioners give to people living with obesity to lose weight? A qualitative content analysis of recorded interactions.
in Family practice
Tremblett M
(2023)
The Basis of Patient Resistance to Opportunistic Discussions About Weight in Primary Care.
in Health communication
Ayre E
(2023)
GP delivered brief weight loss advice: associations between in-consultation behaviour change techniques and patient weight loss in recorded primary care discussions.
in Health psychology and behavioral medicine
Title | Short animated training film for clinicians |
Description | We have elaborate with A dozen eggs, a design company to translate the results from this grant into a short animated film to support clinicians to intervene on patient weight in a helpful supportive way. |
Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
Year Produced | 2019 |
Impact | No impact yet, but we hope this will change clinicians behaviour, in line with the advice in this animated film. |
Title | Talk is a creature: poems on conversation analysis |
Description | A professional poet transformed the findings from this research study into a series of poems translating our results for public and professional agencies in an engaging and exciting way. |
Type Of Art | Creative Writing |
Year Produced | 2024 |
Impact | These comments were performed a public engagement event, and at a series of talks with total engagement, estimated to be around 400 people. Clinicians were keen to use these poems as training tools (which was a positive outcome that we hadn't expected), and this also publicised the training we developed as part of this study as well as encouraging people to engage with clinicians and conversation about their weight. |
URL | https://www.phc.ox.ac.uk/research/research-themes/health-behaviours-theme/communicating-care-poetry-... |
Description | Brief interventions as tested in BWeL become national health policy |
Geographic Reach | National |
Policy Influence Type | Implementation circular/rapid advice/letter to e.g. Ministry of Health |
Impact | This policy is now implemented and GPs practice has changed as a result. We are assessing the impact in a separate grant. |
URL | https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/B0699-ess-weight-management-21-22.pdf |
Description | Briefing for DH Permanent Secretary |
Geographic Reach | National |
Policy Influence Type | Implementation circular/rapid advice/letter to e.g. Ministry of Health |
Impact | Informed development of government obesity strategy |
Description | Chair NICE Committee: Sexually transmitted infections: condom distribution schemes (NG68) |
Geographic Reach | National |
Policy Influence Type | Participation in a guidance/advisory committee |
Description | Chair NICE Committee: Vitamin D: supplement use in specific population groups (PH56) |
Geographic Reach | National |
Policy Influence Type | Participation in a guidance/advisory committee |
Description | Developing PHE guidelines |
Geographic Reach | National |
Policy Influence Type | Membership of a guideline committee |
URL | https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/adult-weight-management-a-guide-to-brief-interventions |
Description | Discussion with chief civil servant at Department of Health |
Geographic Reach | National |
Policy Influence Type | Implementation circular/rapid advice/letter to e.g. Ministry of Health |
Description | Evidence synthesis and report to NICE to inform guidance |
Geographic Reach | National |
Policy Influence Type | Participation in a guidance/advisory committee |
Impact | Our systematic reviews were described as 'the best ever' by NICE and led to guidance on the management of obesity which are likely to have important though unmeasurable impacts on patient care |
URL | http://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ph53 |
Description | Input into weight management components of NHS Long Term Plan |
Geographic Reach | National |
Policy Influence Type | Implementation circular/rapid advice/letter to e.g. Ministry of Health |
Impact | NHS has committed to a pilot project of Total Diet Replacement Programmes for people with diabetes based in part on our research NHS has committed to expansion of behavioural weight management services for people with diabetes and hypertension, based in part on our research |
Guideline Title | Weight management: lifestyle services for overweight or obese adults NICE guidelines [PH53] |
Description | NICE guidance on lifestyle weight management |
Geographic Reach | National |
Policy Influence Type | Citation in clinical guidelines |
Impact | We conducted systematic reviews of the effects of interventions in primary care for weight loss, weight loss maintenance, and the barriers and facilitators to these. |
URL | https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ph53 |
Description | National Diabetes Prevention programme Advisory Group |
Geographic Reach | National |
Policy Influence Type | Participation in a guidance/advisory committee |
Impact | Design of the National Diabetes Prevention programme and oversight/guidance during implementation |
Description | No 10 Round-table on obesity |
Geographic Reach | National |
Policy Influence Type | Implementation circular/rapid advice/letter to e.g. Ministry of Health |
Impact | Discussions informed development of obesity strategy |
Description | PHE Obesity Priority Programme Board |
Geographic Reach | National |
Policy Influence Type | Participation in a guidance/advisory committee |
Impact | Advice on the implementation of the national obesity strategy/plan |
Description | Response to draft NICE guidance |
Geographic Reach | National |
Policy Influence Type | Contribution to a national consultation/review |
Impact | Draft NICE guidance on 'lifestyle weight management' was based on our guidance but went way beyond the evidence in many respects in our team's view. In particular, the guidance was drafted in a way that seemed to emphasise the difficulties of practitioners talking to patients about being overweight. We drafted a response and talked to the director of PH guidance, Mike Kelly, that tackled this and the guidance was amended significantly. In addition, we were able to advise NICE to introduce standards as to the way that these services were delivered. |
URL | http://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ph53 |
Description | The Queen's Lecture for the British Council |
Geographic Reach | Multiple continents/international |
Policy Influence Type | Participation in a guidance/advisory committee |
Description | A programme of research on weight management in obesity |
Amount | £249,832 (GBP) |
Organisation | National Institute for Health Research |
Department | School for Primary Care Research |
Sector | Academic/University |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 08/2010 |
End | 08/2013 |
Description | A randomised controlled trial to compare teh clinical effectivensss of referring patients to the Cambridge Wight Plan compared with usual care for weight management: DROPLET |
Amount | £740,000 (GBP) |
Organisation | Cambridge Weight Plan |
Sector | Private |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 01/2015 |
End | 12/2017 |
Description | A randomised controlled trial to compare the clinical effectiveness of referring patients to the Cambridge Weight Plan compared with usual care for weight management. |
Amount | £740,000 (GBP) |
Organisation | Cambridge Weight Plan |
Sector | Private |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 08/2015 |
End | 08/2018 |
Description | ARC Prevention including Behavioural Risk Factors: Supporting the NHS Long Term Plan: An evaluation of the national rollout of the NHS Enhanced Service Incentive for weight management in primary care |
Amount | £359,047 (GBP) |
Organisation | National Institute for Health Research |
Sector | Public |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 06/2021 |
End | 09/2023 |
Description | Additional funding to support long term follow up of DROPLET trial |
Amount | £80,304 (GBP) |
Funding ID | P2-614 |
Organisation | National Institute for Health Research |
Sector | Public |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 01/2019 |
End | 09/2019 |
Description | An analysis of the cost effectiveness of referring patients to the Cambridge Weight Plan compared with usual care for weight management. DROPLET |
Amount | £30,000 (GBP) |
Organisation | Cambridge Weight Plan |
Sector | Private |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 01/2019 |
End | 09/2019 |
Description | BWEL II |
Amount | £26,954 (GBP) |
Funding ID | P2-615 |
Organisation | National Institute for Health Research |
Sector | Public |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 01/2019 |
End | 09/2019 |
Description | BWeL studentship |
Amount | £65,000 (GBP) |
Organisation | National Institute for Health Research |
Department | School for Primary Care Research |
Sector | Academic/University |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 09/2016 |
End | 09/2019 |
Description | Development and feasibility testing of an intervention to support people to lose weight through daily weighing |
Amount | £82,652 (GBP) |
Funding ID | P2-603 |
Organisation | National Institute for Health Research |
Sector | Public |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 09/2016 |
End | 09/2019 |
Description | Development and feasibility testing of an intervention to support people to lose weight through daily weighing |
Amount | £33,796 (GEL) |
Organisation | University of Cambridge |
Department | Wolfson College |
Sector | Academic/University |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 09/2016 |
End | 09/2019 |
Description | Development and feasibility testing of an intervention to support people to lose weight through daily weighing. |
Amount | £82,652 (GBP) |
Funding ID | P2-603 |
Organisation | National Institute for Health Research |
Sector | Public |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 09/2016 |
End | 09/2019 |
Description | Development of a meal replacement programme to offer in primary care for weight management |
Amount | £51,867 (GBP) |
Funding ID | P602 |
Organisation | National Institute for Health Research |
Sector | Public |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 05/2017 |
End | 03/2018 |
Description | Feasibility and acceptability of a brief routine weight management intervention for postnatal women embedded within the national child immunisation programme in primary care: randomised controlled trial and nested qualitative study |
Amount | £326,039 (GBP) |
Funding ID | HTA/15/184/14 |
Organisation | National Institute for Health Research |
Sector | Public |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 08/2017 |
End | 02/2019 |
Description | Improving delivery of brief opportunistic advice for weight loss in primary care |
Amount | £169,488 (GBP) |
Funding ID | PG/18/70/34003 |
Organisation | British Heart Foundation (BHF) |
Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 01/2020 |
End | 12/2022 |
Description | NIHR Biomedical Research Centre- theme on Diet and Obesity |
Amount | £4,500,000 (GBP) |
Organisation | National Institute for Health Research |
Sector | Public |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 03/2017 |
End | 03/2022 |
Description | Obesity, Diet & Lifestyle Theme |
Amount | £4,500,000 (GBP) |
Organisation | Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust |
Department | NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre |
Sector | Academic/University |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 03/2017 |
End | 03/2022 |
Description | Raising the topic of smoking cessation in general practice: a conversation analysis of GP consultations on smoking |
Amount | £55,917 (GBP) |
Funding ID | A23874 |
Organisation | Cancer Research UK |
Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 08/2017 |
End | 08/2019 |
Title | GP training materials |
Description | The research team have developed an online training course for GPs about how to deal with weight management and deliver brief opportunistic interventions to suitable patients. |
Type Of Material | Improvements to research infrastructure |
Provided To Others? | No |
Impact | We will not know the notable impacts until the end of the trial. However if successful we plan to adapt the materials and roll it on on a national basis for GPs. The training for the trial can easily be edited to provide a training course that can be implemented immediately. |
Title | Nurse training |
Description | The research team have developed a training programme for nurses on how to accurately calculate BMI and use this, together with body fat percentage, to identify patients who are obese and at risk of health problems. |
Type Of Material | Improvements to research infrastructure |
Provided To Others? | No |
Impact | This method has given nurses greater confidence in approaching the issue of obesity with their patients |
Description | Collaboration with Glasgow and Leicester universities |
Organisation | University of Glasgow |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | Based on this trial, we have been asked to collaborate on a grant application to BHF to test the effect of weight loss interventions prior to cardiac surgery. It is our experience of engaging a high proportion of people with the weight loss intervention that led to this collaboration. |
Collaborator Contribution | We are developing a grant application |
Impact | Not yet submitted |
Start Year | 2018 |
Description | Collaboration with Glasgow and Leicester universities |
Organisation | University of Leicester |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | Based on this trial, we have been asked to collaborate on a grant application to BHF to test the effect of weight loss interventions prior to cardiac surgery. It is our experience of engaging a high proportion of people with the weight loss intervention that led to this collaboration. |
Collaborator Contribution | We are developing a grant application |
Impact | Not yet submitted |
Start Year | 2018 |
Description | Coventry University |
Organisation | Coventry University |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | The research team has taken the lead in designing and getting the trial up and running. We also manage the trial on a daily basis and are responsible for publication and dissemination of results. |
Collaborator Contribution | Dr Deborah Lycett contributed to this trial from the planning stages and continue to provide support to the trial in a number of capacities. |
Impact | The output is the trial itself |
Start Year | 2010 |
Description | MRC Cambridge |
Organisation | Medical Research Council (MRC) |
Department | MRC Human Nutrition Research Group |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | The research team has taken the lead in designing and getting the trial up and running. We also manage the trial on a daily basis and are responsible for publication and dissemination of results. |
Collaborator Contribution | Professor Susan Jebb provides intellectual input for the trial; she has done so from the planning stages and continues to provide support to the trial. She brings expertise surrounding weight management in primary care. The collaboration with the MRC unit ended in 2013 due to Prof Susan Jebb taking up a position at University of Oxford. |
Impact | The output is the trial. |
Start Year | 2010 |
Description | RCGP |
Organisation | Royal College of General Practitioners |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | The research team has taken the lead in designing and getting the trial up and running. We also manage the trial on a daily basis and are responsible for publication and dissemination of results. |
Collaborator Contribution | Dr Rachel Pryke from RCGP assisted with the training materials for the GPs. She is the obesity champion for the RCGP. |
Impact | The training material for the GPs is the output of this collaboration. |
Start Year | 2012 |
Description | Rosemary Conley |
Organisation | Rosemary Conley Diet and Fitness Clubs |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Private |
PI Contribution | The research team has taken the lead in designing and getting the trial up and running. We also manage the trial on a daily basis and are responsible for publication and dissemination of results. |
Collaborator Contribution | Rosemary Conley have provided support for the treatment costs of the trial and some of their class providers have offered to give classes for free to our participants. |
Impact | There are no outputs yet. |
Start Year | 2011 |
Description | Slimming World |
Organisation | Slimming World |
Department | Research Development |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Private |
PI Contribution | The research team has taken the lead in designing and getting the trial up and running. We also manage the trial on a daily basis and are responsible for publication and dissemination of results. |
Collaborator Contribution | Slimming world offered to cover the treatment costs for the trial and provided, for free, the vouchers for our participants to attend Slimming World. |
Impact | There are no outputs yet. |
Start Year | 2010 |
Description | University of Birmingham |
Organisation | University of Birmingham |
Department | Department of Primary Care Clinical Sciences |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | The research team has taken the lead in designing and getting the trial up and running. We also manage the trial on a daily basis and are responsible for publication and dissemination of results. |
Collaborator Contribution | Dr Amanda Farley, Dr Amanda Daley, Prof Kate Jolly And Dr Peymane Adab all contributed to this trial from the planning stages and continue to provide support to the trial in a number of capacities, such as intellectual input and trial support. |
Impact | The outcome from this partnership is the trial itself. |
Start Year | 2010 |
Description | University of Oxford |
Organisation | University of Oxford |
Department | Oxford Clinical Trials Unit (CTU) |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | The research team has taken the lead in designing and getting the trial up and running. We also manage the trial on a daily basis and are responsible for publication and dissemination of results. |
Collaborator Contribution | They have helped to get the trial sponsored and support the research team to run the trial on a daily basis. (The trial relocated from Birmingham to Oxford in Sept 2012, hence the later start date). |
Impact | The trial is the output for this collaboration. |
Start Year | 2012 |
Title | Brief Intervention for Weight Loss |
Description | We have developed a public health intervention aimed at obese patients to assist with weight management in primary care. We have trained GPs to offer patients either advice on why they should lose weight on medical grounds or support to lose weight with the offer of a referral to a commercial weight management service. This intervention is delivered using a brief opportunistic approach that lasts about 30 seconds and is to be delivered at the end of a normal consultation when someone has visited for something other than weight management. |
Type | Management of Diseases and Conditions |
Current Stage Of Development | Late clinical evaluation |
Year Development Stage Completed | 2013 |
Development Status | Under active development/distribution |
Clinical Trial? | Yes |
Impact | We won't know the notable impact until the trial has finished. |
URL | http://www.controlled-trials.com/ISRCTN26563137 |
Description | Appearance on Radio 4 Inside Health |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | This was a feature of about 5 minutes on Inside Health, a popular Radio 4 programme, majoring on brief interventions by GPs |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2015 |
URL | http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b03zy4hs |
Description | Association for the Study of Obesity Annual Meeting |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Presentation of a series of studies including two NPRI funded projects about weight management in primary care. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
Description | BBC World Service Nutrition Series |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | Series of short interviews on variety of nutrition topics |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
Description | Cambridge Science Festival |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Local |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | Short presentation and extended Q&A about aetiology and management of obesity, based on BBC series |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2015 |
Description | Department open day |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an open day or visit at my research institution |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | Our team put on activities and displays to improve awareness of obesity and its health consequences, food energy, and the issue of talking to your GP about your weight as well as estimating body mass index online We got very high interest from the public and everyone agreed it was a very worthwhile event |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2013 |
Description | Engagement with Buckinghamshire GP teams |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Local |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | The aim was to launch the Buckinghamshire obesity strategy and show the evidence that this would work in primary care. I received very positive feedback on the talk |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2015 |
Description | European Primary Care Cardiovascular Society |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | About 100 GPs from around Europe attended my lecture on practical approaches to intervening to promote health in the consultation. Afterwards I received many comments; one person said 'You have a great way of putting things so that it is easy to understand'. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2015 |
Description | FDF Nutrition Committee |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
Results and Impact | Presentation to the Food and Drink Federation Nutrition Committee (approx 15 companies) to communicate findings from a systematic review on portion size and obesity and to discuss actions which business might take to mitigate the risk from large portions |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2015 |
Description | GP out reach seminars |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Type Of Presentation | Keynote/Invited Speaker |
Geographic Reach | Regional |
Primary Audience | Health professionals |
Results and Impact | We have done 8 presentation about the trial to GP practices. The audience included a mixture of staff from practice managers to GPs to research nurses. This initiated discussions about the trial and lead to expressions of interest being given to run the trial within those practices. We were able to get practices interested in taking part in our trial. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2012,2013 |
Description | GPs at East Oxford Health Centre used our materials for a local training day |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Local |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Our training materials for the trial are widely regarded by GPs as relevant and helpful and also novel for them. Some local GPs organise the local GP education sessions and asked to use our materials for one of the GP education sessions The talk was well received and people reported that they were motivated to take action as a result of the training. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2013 |
Description | Gender differences in response to an opportunistic brief intervention for obesity in primary care |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Paper using data from Bwel trial selected as an NIHR alert and short summary posted to website and by twitter for NIHR audiences to inform practice. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
URL | https://evidence.nihr.ac.uk/ |
Description | ITV Tonight: Childhood obesity programme |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press) |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | Interview as part of 30 min prime-time programme |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2015 |
Description | Institute of Child Health Seminar series |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Local |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Talk on weight management in primary care |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2014 |
Description | Interview with Tom Kerridge |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Regional |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | Interviewing a celebrity chef about his weight loss experience and relating that to the scientific evidence about weight loss as part of Oxfordshire Science Festival. Tom Kerridge was a big draw and as a result we had a different audience than usual attendees at public events. The room was packed on one of the hottest days of the year and evaluation was overwhelmingly positive. We recruited 72 people to join our Public Panel. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
Description | Keynote address at UK Society for Behavioural Medicine |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Other audiences |
Results and Impact | This was a keynote presentation to a key audience of colleagues who work in similar ways in which I described the mechanisms underlying the effect of the intervention on behaviour and what that tells us about treatment. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
URL | https://www.kc-jones.co.uk/uksbm2016 |
Description | Lecture to university medical group visiting from China: Treating obesity at scale to bring public health benefits |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Lecture: Treating obesity at scale to bring public health benefits |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
Description | Lecture: Diet, obesity and health: from science to policy - Jenner Society |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Local |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | Invited talk on our research and careers in science to Sixth Form science students |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
Description | Lecture: How to help your patients lose weight - Society for Endocrinology |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Invited lecture for Society for Endocrinology Clinical Update Influenced professional practice to encourage greater attention to weight management |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
Description | Lecture: Nutrition - 2nd Year Medical Students - University of Oxford |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Local |
Primary Audience | Undergraduate students |
Results and Impact | Lecture to 2nd Year medical students at MSTD University of Oxford. Fostered awareness of diet/health links and opportunities for intervention |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
Description | Lecture: Obesity - Brasenose Medical Society |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Local |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Invited lecture. Fostered awareness of diet/health links, opportunities for intervention and role of practitioners |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
Description | Lecture: Treating obesity in routine healthcare settings - Malaysian ASO |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Talk to University of Putra Malaysia for Association for the Study of Obesity. Student education. Raised profile of our research. Discussions on possible Newton funding collaborations. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
Description | Medscape Journal of Medicine: When do obesity public health messages become ft shaming? |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A magazine, newsletter or online publication |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Published editorial for Medscape Journal of Medicine |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
URL | https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/915478?src=110719_feature_harris_onc&faf=1#vp_2 |
Description | Member of a NICE panel on weight loss management |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | The panel produced national guidance on lifestyle weight management It is too soon to evaluate the impact of the guidance |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2013 |
URL | http://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ph53 |
Description | NHS England South Central Medical Directorate Conference |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Regional |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Talk to present data on clinical and cost effectiveness of interventions to treat obesity |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
URL | http://tvscn.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/Agenda-for-7-June-conference.pdf |
Description | NIHR CLAHRC Oxford stakeholder event |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Regional |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Talk to describe results of research in Diet and Obesity theme of Oxford CLAHRC |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
Description | Newspaper Article: Fat-shaming is wrong but obesity is dangerous |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
Results and Impact | The Times article by Alice Thomson. Stimulating debate on public health policies |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
URL | https://www.thetimes.co.uk/edition/comment/fat-shaming-is-wrong-but-obesity-is-dangerous-82ck7dh2z |
Description | Newspaper Article: Formula Meal Plan can tackle obesity in the short term - The Guardian |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
Results and Impact | Article by Sarah Boseley, Health Editor - 'Formula meal plan can tackle obesity in the short term' - report on data from the DROPLET trial, presented at the World Obesity Conference in Vienna. Study cited in DH press release as stimulus to NHS adoption of similar treatment. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
URL | https://www.theguardian.com/society/2018/may/25/formula-meal-diet-plan-can-tackle-obesity-in-short-t... |
Description | Newspaper Article: Sugar Tax - The Times |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A magazine, newsletter or online publication |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
Results and Impact | Newspaper Article re introduction of Sugar Tax this week. Stimulating debate on public health policies |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
Description | Newspaper Article: The Big Crash Diet Experiment - The Telegraph |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
Results and Impact | Article by Michael Hogan re the Screening of the television show The Big Crash Diet Experiment. NHS adoption of similar treatment. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
URL | https://www.telegraph.co.uk/tv/2018/05/30/big-crash-diet-experiment-review-useful-solution-tubby-tel... |
Description | Newspaper Article: Yes, crash diets can work (if you're overweight enough) - The Times |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
Results and Impact | Newspaper interview following publication of study. NHS adoption of similar treatment announced in 2019 Long Term Plan. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
Description | Newspaper Interview: Doctors should make patients go on diets - The Times |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
Results and Impact | 2 page profile piece by Rachel Sylvester and Alice Thomson. Stimulating debate on public health policies |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
URL | https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/doctors-should-make-patients-go-on-diets-fp05xmsc6 |
Description | North Oxford Rotary Club |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Local |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | Lunchtime discussion about diet and health |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
Description | Obesity, diet and lifestyle networking event |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Local |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | BRC Obesity, Diet and Lifestyle Networking Event at Old Road Campus |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
Description | Oxfordshire Science Festival |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Regional |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | Short presentation and extended Q&A about aetiology and management of obesity, based on BBC series |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2015 |
Description | PCRN National Conference (2013) |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | Yes |
Type Of Presentation | Keynote/Invited Speaker |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Other academic audiences (collaborators, peers etc.) |
Results and Impact | The team were asked to contribute to a master class in weight management studies. The presentation was delivered to 60 health professionals working within Primary Care. We raised awareness of the trial to different PCRN areas and also new GP practices who engaged with the BWeL Trial. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2013 |
Description | Poetry book |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A magazine, newsletter or online publication |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | A professional poet worked alongside our team to transform results from our study on communication about weight loss in primary care into a series of seven poems. These were performed our communication event, and also shared through a series of talks around the UK, reaching a total of around 400 people. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
URL | https://www.phc.ox.ac.uk/research/research-themes/health-behaviours-theme/communicating-care-poetry-... |
Description | Presentation to European Primary Care Cardiovascular Society |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | The talk was well received and it was based upon our training for the BWeL trial. A practitoner said to me afterwards that 'you have the ability to understand the questions I want to ask and answer them'. Colleagues reported that it changed their views about the value of intervention on obesity |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2013 |
Description | Presentation to International Congress on Obesity |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | Presented BWeL trial to an international audience |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
Description | Presentation to Magill Symposium at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | The talk led to lots of questions and a panel discussion The audience reported that their knowledge of obesity and its management improved |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2013 |
URL | http://imperial-anaesthesia.org.uk/?page=20&postid=223 |
Description | Presentation to UK Congress on Obesity |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | This was a talk about the language used by GPs and how talk shapes action in patients. The audience included practising clinicians |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
Description | Presentation: 'Policy initiatives to tackle obesity in England' - Australian Government Obesity Summit |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
Results and Impact | Skype Presentation 'Policy initiatives to tackle obesity in England' to Australian Government Obesity Summit |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
Description | Presentation: Behaviour change to improve health - Academy of Medical Sciences |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Presentation at Academy of Medical Sciences Rosenthal Symposium then published as podcast on Naked Neuroscience |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
URL | https://www.thenakedscientists.com/podcasts/naked-neuroscience/best-behaviour-rolling-out-change |
Description | Presentation: CTU study updates - GP Day - Eynsham Hall |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Regional |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Presentation for GP Day at Eynsham Hall re CTU study updates |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
Description | Presentation: Knowledge, nudge or nanny - how might we change what we eat? - Ellesmere College |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Local |
Primary Audience | Schools |
Results and Impact | Presentation to School pupils and parents at Ellesmere College. Raised awareness of importance of diet to long term health. Raised interest in careers in nutrition science |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
Description | Presentation: Obesity policy in England - NSW Treasury |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
Results and Impact | Talk to NSW Treasury on obesity policies in UK. Informing NSW obesity strategy |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
Description | Presentation: Screening and brief intervention trial - Dept of Population Health |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Talk at Collaborators meeting for Nuffield Dept of Population Health (investigators, potential investigators and senior trial managers) |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
Description | Presentation: Talking the Talk - RCGP Annual Primary Care Conference |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Presentation to GPs re acceptable and effective brief interventions for weight control |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
Description | Presentation: Treating obesity - Oxford Women's Health Annual Study Day |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Local |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Treating Obesity Presentation. Evalutation reported that some audience members planned to change their practice and offere weight management interventions. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
Description | Presentation: What can doctors do to tackle obesity? - Somerville College |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Local |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Presentation 'What can doctors do to tackle obesity? at Somerville College, Oxford |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
Description | Presentation: What's new in primary care trials - Society for Endocrinology - Obesity Update Conference 2018 |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Society for Endocrinology Obesity Update 2018 Conference |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
Description | Public Science Event |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | White-coated shoulders stiffen, hands fiddle with the pen on the desk - how to help them feel helped, the patient opposite with hardships untold how to help them hear you can do this, you have to try, I know it's hard" Good communication is crucial to good healthcare. But, when sensitive or difficult topics arise, communication can break down. Experiences of poor communication can mean people avoid seeking healthcare, or misunderstand health risks. Our team for this study, worked alongside professional, dances and poets, and composers, to design and lead a novel public engagement performance event called 'Communicating Care' to communicate our important research, and share information about how to navigate these difficult conversations. The power of 'Communicating Care' is that scientific research on how to smoothly navigate challenging conversations about weight, and weight loss, was blended with recordings of real consultations and emotive performances of bespoke poetry, dance, and composition, inspired by our research. Together these creative multi-disciplinary methods reached a diverse audience in a way that the research alone could not. 'Communicating Care' was performed live at Somerville College on the 16th October 2023, as part of the Oxford Science and Ideas Festival and is accessible online. This creative and novel event, funded by the British Heart Foundation, has been viewed by over 200 members of the public. It received an average audience rating of 9.7/10. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
URL | https://www.phc.ox.ac.uk/research/research-themes/health-behaviours-theme/communicating-care-poetry-... |
Description | Public Talk: NIHR BRC Oxford Public Lecture - Obesity Week - Is dieting worth it? - JR Hospital |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Local |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | Public Talk for Obesity Week at JR Hospital. Stimulated public awareness of effective ways to lose weight. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
Description | Public art competition |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | We held a public art competition and asked members of the public living with obesity to interpret the results from this study in an artistic way. The winner was Jennifer Bostock, who created art looking at how important the structures behind conversation are to flourishing clinical conversations. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
URL | https://www.phc.ox.ac.uk/research/research-themes/health-behaviours-theme/communicating-care-poetry-... |
Description | Public engagement |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | We realised the the BWeL trial was major news for the way that GPs engage with obesity in their patients and that this had implications practitioners, patients, and the general public. We also wanted to maximise the impact of the publication and we prepared a strategy for doing so. Working jointly with the Lancet, we lined up several doctors, patients from the trial, and me to be free to talk to the media. We briefed friends in the media beforehand and we sent the paper to several key opinion leaders, both in public heath research and in clinical practice. The efforts were a big success. The altmetric score is currently 1435 and rising because whenever the topic of GPs talking to patients who are overweight is raised it is often quoted. There was blanket coverage on national TV, radio, and print-based news. In addition, we have done an analysis of the coverage and used this to learn lessons about press releases in the future. We aim to maximise coverage, but reduce stigma associated with obesity and many news outlets used stigmatising images. We will therefore issue suggested images to go alongside a press release in future. In addition, the analysis of comments on online responses to news articles suggested some people changed their views on the topic. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
Description | RCGP Learning Event |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | RCGP Learning Event on Obesity. I talked on weight management. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
Description | Radio Interview: Fat in Diets - BBC Five Live Afternoon Edition |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
Results and Impact | Radio Interview with Katie Tunstall. dispelling myths about food |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
Description | Radio Interview: Government initiatives to tackle obesity - BBC Radio 4 World at One |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
Results and Impact | Interview with Mark Mardell re Government initiatives to tackle obesity. Contributing to public debate on food policies |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
Description | Radio Interview: Obesity Week - BBC Radio Oxford |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Local |
Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
Results and Impact | Radio Interview for Obesity Week. Contributing to public discussion on obesity. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
Description | Radio Interview: Weight - Audible |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press) |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | Radio interview as part of 6 part documentary series on Weight hosted by Dr Giles Yeo, Cambridge geneticist |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
Description | Radio Interview: Weight-loss drugs to treat obesity - BBC Radio 4 World at One |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
Results and Impact | Interview re Weight-loss drugs to treat obesity. Putting drug treatment for obesity in context of what can be achieved through dietary interventions |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
Description | Richard Doll Seminar Series |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Local |
Primary Audience | Other audiences |
Results and Impact | Talk on "New evidence from trials to inform the management of obesity in routine care" Audience of about 150 In following week, two doctors spontaneously reported that they had changed their practice and made a brief intervention for weight management with a patient |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
Description | Seminar for BBSRC Head Office |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Local |
Primary Audience | Other audiences |
Results and Impact | Seminar for staff at BBSRC head Office and discussions related to funding for diet and health research |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
Description | South West Public Health Conference, Weight loss support as public health intervention |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Regional |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | This was a CPD update for public health practitioners in South West England |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
Description | TVSCRN Obesity Webinar |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Webinar on effective intervention to treat obesity in primary care |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
URL | http://tvscn.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/TVSCRN-webinar-Brief-Interventions-for-Weight-Managem... |
Description | Talk to GPs at World Congress on National Academies of Family Doctors (WONCA) |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | This was a talk in which I presented how to change behaviour in a consultation using the BWeL example. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
Description | Talk to GPs for Cancer Research UK |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Regional |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | This was a talk to discuss prevention and how it can be incorporated easily into the consultation. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
Description | Talk to Glasgow University |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Local |
Primary Audience | Other audiences |
Results and Impact | In this talk I presented our research on weight management and what it has achieved. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
Description | Talk to International Congress of Behavioural Medicine |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | This was a presentation of the BWeL trial at a major international congress. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
Description | Talk to Thames Valley GPs |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Regional |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | I talked to regional GPs about the BWeL and how to use the findings in everyday practice. Several GPs reported that they would do so. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
Description | Talk to UKCRC centres of excellence in public health conference |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Presentation of BWeL trial results |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
Description | Teaching at Warwick University on the MSc programme |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
Results and Impact | The talk sparked lots of questions The students found the session very informative and gave it high ratings |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2013 |
Description | Television Interview: NHS at 70 - BBC |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press) |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | Article to celebrate the NHS at 70 - filming at JR Hospital. Encouraged public support for work of NHS |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
Description | Television Interview: Obesity and Ill health - Sky News |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
Results and Impact | News article. Contributing to public awareness of effectiveness of obesity treatment |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
Description | Television Interview: Total Diet Replacement Programmes - BBC Breakfast TV |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
Results and Impact | Interview following announcement from NHS about offering TDR (DROPLET study). Raising public awareness of effectivess of weight loss to prevent/treat diabetes. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
Description | Television Screening: Britain's Fat Fight - BBC1 |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press) |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | Screening of the television show exploring the obesity crisis with celebrity Chef Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall. The programme featured a rerun of our BWeL trial concerning brief interventions and showed how acceptable and effective these were. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
URL | https://www.phc.ox.ac.uk/news/hugh-fearnley-whittingstall-puts-oxford-university2019s-weight-loss-re... |
Description | Television Screening: The big Crash Diet Experiment |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press) |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | 1 hour science programme with four overweight volunteers putting crash dieting to the test. Input into development of programme and on screen expert. Stimuls to announcement by NHS to pilot this type of intervention to treat diabetes. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
Description | Thames Valley Strategic Clinical Network Conference |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Regional |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | A regional event to promote service innovation by learning from research. Presented new findings primarily from NPRI funded studies on weight management in adults. Evaluation forms found it to be the most highly rated presentation on the day with some reporting intention to change practice. Asked by regional Medical Director to do a video interview, subsequent webinar for local commissioners and speak at follow up event.. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
Description | The Osler Lecture - Oxford medical Alumni |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | A presentation to an alumni group of about 200 people, including many current medical practitioners. I received 4 or 5 emails subsequently requesting additional information and notes reporting a new awareness about the success of weight-loss interventions offered by health professionals with some correspondents specifically noting this would info;hence their practice. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
Description | Working with Cancer Research UK to develop a training programme for practitioners on brief interventions. |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | This is an RCGP and CRUK group that is developing a training programme for practitioners to develop skills in delivering brief interventions and help to motivate them to do this. The obesity brief intervention is based on BWeL. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016,2017 |
Description | Working with Public Health England to develop training for practitioners in weight management |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Public Health England are developing resources to help practitioners raise the issue of overweight and obesity with patients and train them in what to do. The brief intervention component is based on BWeL and the use of referral to weight management services is based on the WRAP trial. We are having regular phone conferences and editing the materials. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016,2017 |