Log in
Research conducted by the University of Liverpool (UoL) has convincingly shown that there are strong links between the exposure of children to food advertising, brand recognition and being overweight or obese. This work consistently informs the policies of regulators and health agencies, nationally and internationally. In this specific example, work by Halford and Boyland to characterize the effects of food advertising on children's diet, food preferences, intake and body weight has had a direct effect on UK and overseas policy development. Notably this includes informing WHO guidelines to national governments on introducing effective regulatory frameworks and for monitoring their effectiveness.
Research undertaken at the University of Ulster has had a global impact on public health advice about fish consumption during pregnancy. Ulster's international collaborative research has been used by the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations and the World Health Organization (WHO), and also by industry, to promote greater fish consumption during pregnancy. The work has also been evaluated by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) in its assessment of the public health risk of methyl-mercury in food.
Since 1993 researchers from the University of Leeds (UoL) have devised robust and standardised experimental methodologies to study human appetite and food consumption objectively. Companies in the food and pharmaceutical sectors have used these procedures to develop functional foods and anti-obesity drugs. The validated methodologies also allowed global clinical research organisation Covance to establish its Human Appetite Laboratory to provide product evaluation for US and EU pharmaceutical companies. Food regulators have also recommended the Leeds approach for producing evidence to support appetite control claims for functional foodstuffs.
Research conducted at the University of Bristol between 2002 and 2006 directly influenced a significant commercial decision about use of a food additive to aid appetite control, which protected consumers from an ineffective product. Concerns about increasing levels of obesity worldwide and the toll this takes not only on human health but on health care costs, have led to the development of food ingredients that satisfy hunger for longer (enhance satiety). One such major new ingredient, Fabuless, which is owned by DSM (Dutch State Mines), a leading global manufacturer of food ingredients, was being considered by Unilever for inclusion in its range of diet foods. DSM and Unilever contacted Professor Peter Rogers, who is known for his novel methods for the experimental study of appetite control, to test the effectiveness of Fabuless. Rogers demonstrated no satiety effect of Fabuless when consumed in realistic products, which caused Unilever to abandon Fabuless as a potential food ingredient in 2009. Publication of the research also meant that other food manufacturing companies and regulatory authorities were informed about the ineffectiveness of Fabuless.
Imperial College research on the gut hormone, oxyntomodulin, showed it caused considerable weight loss in man. A powerful long acting analogue suitable for daily human administration (TKS1225) was developed. This was licensed by Imperial to a spinout, Thiakis Ltd, for successful human toxicity testing and then sold to Wyeth for $30 million initially and $120 million on meeting milestones. Wyeth Pharmaceuticals and the full legal agreement was subsequently acquired and developed by Pfizer in 2009.
Dietary fat plays an important role in the causation of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Using randomized controlled trials of dietary fat modification, King's College London researchers have provided information about the effects of specific fatty acids on CVD risk which the Food Standards Agency have used to inform its policy decisions and future research strategy. The research also contributed to the development of international guidelines on the intakes of specific types of fatty acids and helped the food industry reformulate fats to be low in trans fatty acids. This research has also had an impact on dietary advice given by health professionals, the media and patient groups.
Changing global patterns of agricultural production, food availability and processing are having profound impacts on individual food consumption and population health. Thus accurate data on individual food consumption are fundamental for effective planning of agricultural investments and for the implementation of sound public health nutrition policy. Research undertaken at the University of Ulster has demonstrated that mis-reporting in dietary surveys is pervasive and consequently is obscuring diet-health associations. This research has prompted a major paradigm shift in the way public health policy makers interpret dietary intake data.
Childhood obesity is an increasing problem in the UK with roughly one in seven school aged children in Scotland and England being classified as obese. The picture is similar in Wales where the prevalence is one in eight. The direct cost of obesity to the NHS is estimated to be £4.2bn a year, with this set to rise if the causes of childhood obesity are not addressed. The contribution of the research described below to tackling this issue is manifold: it has enabled the development and improvement of child health interventions/programmes; it has allowed commissioners and programme leads to make more informed decisions about investment in these interventions/programmes; and it has contributed to the development of regional healthy weight strategies and national guidelines on weight management.
The Brain, Performance and Nutrition Research Centre (BPNRC) has an international reputation for research conducted in collaboration with industry to assess the impact of nutrition and dietary interventions on brain function. Our research benefits our industrial partners financially, in terms of increased product sales, and by providing evidence supporting the introduction of new products that improve consumer wellbeing. This case study focuses on research that supported Bayer to develop successful brands with public health benefits.
For over 20 years, conclusive evidence has existed that folic acid in early pregnancy prevents spina bifida and related birth defects (collectively known as neural tube defects; NTD), leading to folic acid recommendations for women of reproductive age worldwide. However, translating these recommendations into practice remains a significant challenge. This case study is focussed on identifying and addressing the challenges in implementing current folic acid policy into practice in healthy populations, and in parallel investigating newer roles for folate in preventing disease. Our international outputs to date have provided a scientific foundation for developing evidence-based, sometimes controversial, policy in this area and its translation to consumers.