Weight Concern

The Obesity Research Group work closely with the charity Weight Concern, run from UCL's Department of Behavioural Science in Health, and led by Jen Hornsby. Weight Concern is a registered charity, set up in 1997 to tackle the rising problem of obesity in the UK. Weight Concern works to address both the physical and psychological health needs of overweight people, and is regularly represented at NICE Public Health Advisory Committee meetings. It also delivers evidence-based weight management training to groups of health professionals across England, which is informed by the work of the Obesity Research Group. The charity has an active online user group, 'the Big Panel', which consists of over 1500 members of the public who have first-hand experience of being overweight and of going through the trials and tribulations of weight loss. The Big Panel has previously provided lay representation for Trial Steering Committees, informed research designs and interventions, and provided rapid-responses to media and policy campaigns.

Contact: Dr Helen Croker (h.croker[at]ucl.ac.uk) and Dr Rebecca Beeken (r.beeken[at]ucl.ac.uk).

Website: www.weightconcern.org.uk