National Obesity Group Plan 2007

January 2007

Background

The National Obesity Group’s first meeting was held in November 2005 to establish a united voice on obesity research in the UK. The group comprises knowledge-based societies with an interest in obesity. There have been a further two meetings to date to expand on the role of the group. The group’s strength lies in its ability to establish what additional research should be undertaken to help in our understanding of the obesity epidemic.

Aims and objectives

1) To act as an academic body that approaches UK funding bodies and government with a single strong voice to promote increased funding of obesity.

2) To promote a rigorous scientific basis to decision-making on policies to address obesity.

3) To provide a united voice in response to consultations, such as NICE, Foresight, DH, DTI.

4) To encourage increased dialogue between the individual societies to promote and encourage obesity research.

Methods to achieve aims and objectives

1) Write state of the science document detailing what has been established in obesity and what areas of further research are required. Distribute document to relevant government, funding bodies and the press.

2) Write letter for British Medical Journal, New scientist and/or other leading journals/newspapers to publicise the group and the urgent need for further funding.

3) Set up infrastructure/working groups to coordinate responses to major obesity issues and enquiries from the media. Group responses should not preclude individual societies from replying.

4) Co-ordinate obesity-related academic activities between member societies. Including updates on obesity-related activities of all member societies. Act as a consultation resource for identifying good speakers and a forum for encouraging joint events. Provide an e-mail current awareness alerting service on obesity for member groups and others.

5) Promote infrastructure within individual societies to ensure representatives at meetings are able to truly present wider views of their members.

Participants

Any UK Knowledge-based society with an interest in obesity research can join the group. Learned societies will be Full Members and other groups Associate Members.

The chairman of the group is currently Professor Steve Bloom. Societies currently involved in the group are:

Association of British Clinical Diabetologists

Association for the Study of Obesity

British Association of Child and Community Health

British Cardiac Society

British Fertility Society

British Heart Foundation

British Hypertension Society

British Pharmacological Society

British Psychological Society

British Society for Paediatric Endocrinology and Diabetes

Cancer Research UK

Diabetes UK

International Association for the Study of Obesity/international Obesity Task Force

Nutrition Society

Society for Endocrinology

Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists

Governance

The group will be non-competitive and is intended to add value for the member societies. Where individual societies can perform a task better then it is appropriate that they should do so.

There will be up to four contacts (two academics and two administrators) for each member society. Each society will nominate two members to attend the group’s meetings. The main representative should be a leading clinician or scientist in their field of research. The second representative can be an academic or administrator.

There will be two to three meetings per year.

Funding

The group will be self-financing. Bioscientifica will manage the accounts on behalf of the group but will not be required to provide any funding. Funding will be sought from companies such as private health insurers, other insurance companies etc. All member groups will be asked to grant seed funding of £1000-5000. Those with funds available will be encouraged to offer more.

Seed funding pledged so far

Society for Endocrinology£5,000

Association of British Clinical Diabetologists £1,000

Staffing

Project co-ordinator

This is a part-time freelance role and requires excellent organisational, project management and interpersonal skills. The Project Co-ordinator reports to the Project Chair and the Executive Director of BioScientifica. This role will be undertaken by Dr Debbie Willis.

External Relations Manager

This requires excellent networking and interpersonal skills and a knowledge of the best ways to work with the media and with government departments to promote the work of the group.

This role will be undertaken by Mr Tom Parkhill, External Relations Manager of BioScientifica.

Responsibilities within the group

Committee members / Strategic direction, policy, scientific input
Project Co-ordinator / Meetings – convening, logistics, agenda, papers, minutes (probably admin support available for meeting logistics)
Documents – liaison with group, research, writing, moderating drafts
Consultation responses - liaison with group, research, writing, moderating drafts
Other projects – advice, research, support
Fundraising
Project Co-ordinator and External Relations Manager / Preparation of dissemination plans, eg media, MPs, government
Preparation of email updates
External Relations Manager / Actioning dissemination plans, dealing with responses and providing feedback to Project Co-ordinator
Disseminating email updates
Scanning media and feeding in relevant information to Project Co-ordinator

Actions to move forward

1) Set name of group. Possibilities discussed so far:

National Obesity Research Alliance

UK Committee on Obesity

UK Obesity Research Committee

UK Obesity Research Forum

UK Obesity Federation

UK Obesity Research Network

Joint Scientific Societies Obesity Group

Learned societies Obesity Research Alliance (LORA)

Alliance of National Obesity Research Societies

2) Finalise representatives from each organisation.

3) Finalise seed funding and set budget

4) Write governance document.

5) Establish mechanism for representatives to get feedback from their members.

6) Infrastructure to deal with

  1. Media enquires
  2. Response to major obesity issues – foresight, WHO, NICE.

7) Finalise obesity document and distribute to relevant government, funding bodies and press.

8) Review NICE guidance and Norfolk Treatment pathway.