MRC Epidemiology Unit
Community weight loss programmes, such as Weight Watchers, are effective at helping people to lose weight, our latest research shows. We found that a three-month programme helps people lose weight, but a one-year programme helps people lose more weight for longer and reduces their risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Wider availability of these programmes […]
Opinion: Studying change in behaviour and body weight over time has increased our understanding of the causes and possibilities for prevention of type 2 diabetes
By Adina L. Feldman, MRC Epidemiology Unit, University of Cambridge Type 2 diabetes is a global health issue affecting 414 million adults world-wide.1 Although the number of people being newly diagnosed with diabetes (the incidence) appears to be stabilising and perhaps even decreasing, the total number of people living with the disease (the prevalence) is […]
Understanding the health benefits of the ‘sugar tax’: how will the soft drinks industry respond?
Originally posted on the Fuse Open Science Blog, Dr Oliver Mytton, looks at the potential health benefits of the Soft Drinks Industry Levy and how the soft drinks industry might respond Today our paper, a health impact assessment of the government’s proposed ‘sugar tax’ was published in the Lancet Public Health. The government’s proposal, announced in […]
Opinion: A fresh insight into the links between birth weight and later life disease
For many years, studies have been reported that birth weight can leave patterns of higher or lower risk for diabetes and heart disease in later life 1. But we have not understood why this happens and such findings have not impacted on health care. Some investigators have even questioned whether these risk patterns are real […]
Opinion: A varied diet can prevent diabetes – but can you afford it?
Annalijn I Conklin, University of California, Los Angeles; Nita Forouhi, University of Cambridge, and Pablo Monsivais, University of Cambridge In a study of over 25,000 adults with detailed information about their eating habits, people with a greater diversity of foods in their diet showed a 30% lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes over a […]
Local takeaways create a double burden for obesity
Thomas Burgoine, University of Cambridge and Pablo Monsivais, University of Cambridge People in the UK are spending more than ever on takeaway food and there’s good reason to believe that this is contributing to the nation’s obesity problem. Two-thirds of UK adults are either overweight or obese. But the amount of excess weight the nation […]
How we discovered that genes could influence the age when you first have sex
As far as big life decisions go, choosing when to lose your virginity or the best time start a family are probably right up there for most people. It may seem that such decisions are mostly driven by social factors, such as whether you’ve met the right partner, social pressure or even your financial situation. […]
Opinion: It’s time to change the way we think about changing what people eat
The Chancellor’s recent announcement about a tax on sugary drinks is a step in the right direction towards fighting obesity, but we will need to use lot of different approaches simultaneously to make big changes, writes Dr Jean Adams from the Centre for Diet & Activity Research and Medical Research Council Epidemiology Unit. The UK […]
Opinion: Obesity: stop accusing the poor of making bad choices
Pablo Monsivais, University of Cambridge Last month, the UK health secretary, Jeremy Hunt, called childhood obesity “a national emergency”, but the government has once again delayed publishing its strategy aimed at combating it. Obesity is much more common in people with less money and education and this socioeconomic gap is getting larger. An unhealthy diet […]
Buses, bicycles and building for health
Dr Jenna Panter writes about her research that found that Cambridgeshire’s ‘guided busway’ is encouraging people to be more active on the commute, and what this might mean for health in our daily lives. Most of our time is now spent sitting, whether it’s in the car, at a desk or on the sofa. It […]