The latest news from the Centre for Diet and Activity Research
- CEDAR and MRC Epidemiology Unit give evidence to Health Committee
- CEDAR joins the UK Health Forum
- Group walking cuts risk of life-threatening conditions
- Limits and labelling have reduced the availability of artificial trans fats
- Recent CEDAR publications
- 12th WHO/IDF/EASD Cambridge Diabetes Seminar – 23-29 August 2015
- Upcoming talks and seminars
CEDAR and MRC Epidemiology Unit give evidence to House of Commons Health Committee
Inquiry into the impact of physical activity and diet on health
CEDAR and the MRC Epidemiology Unit submitted a joint response to the House of Commons Health Committee’s inquiry into the impact of physical activity and diet on health. Following the submission of written evidence, Prof Nick Wareham, Director of the Unit and CEDAR was invited to give expert testimony to the committee on 3 February.
- Written evidence submitted by physical activity research groups at the MRC Epidemiology Unit and CEDAR (pdf)
- Written evidence submitted by nutritional epidemiology and dietary public health research groups at the MRC Epidemiology Unit and CEDAR (pdf)
- Watch expert testimony given by Prof Nick Wareham (on witness panel with Prof Gillian Leng, Deputy Chief Executive and Director of Health and Social Care, NICE & Prof Susan Jebb OBE, Nuffield Department of Primary Health Care Sciences). Requires Silverlight.
The Health Committee is appointed by the House of Commons to examine the policy, administration and expenditure of the Department of Health and its associated bodies. The Committee chooses its own subjects of inquiry. This inquiry is looking at evidence of the impact of diet on health, how to convey the importance of healthy eating and drinking in order to achieve a more healthy weight, and the evidence of the impact of physical activity on health, including its impact independent of weight.
- Visit the select Committee inquiry homepage.
More evidence submissions can be found at www.cedar.iph.cam.ac.uk/resources/evidence-submissions
CEDAR joins the UK Health Forum
We are pleased to announce that CEDAR has recently become a member of the UK Health Forum (UKHF). The UKHF is a charitably-funded group with a mission “to operate as a centre of expertise, working with and through its members to contribute to the prevention of the avoidable non-communicable diseases – coronary heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, obesity, cancer respiratory diseases and vascular dementia.”
The UKHF have a number of useful resources, including Healthy Places – www.healthyplaces.org.uk – and their weekly Prevention Information & Evidence eLibrary with the latest information, evidence, news and grey literature, which you can tailor to your interests. Subscribe at www.ukhealthforum.org.uk/prevention/pie
- More at www.ukhealthforum.org.uk
- Follow UKHF on Twitter at twitter.com/uk_hf
Group walking cuts risk of life-threatening conditions
Risk of stroke, coronary heart disease, depression and other life-threatening conditions can be reduced through regular outdoor walking in groups, according to research from the University of East Anglia (UEA), supported by CEDAR.
Findings published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine reveal that people who regularly walk in groups have lower blood pressure, resting heart rate and total cholesterol. The exercise also leads to a reduction in body fat and Body Mass Index (BMI).
In England, at least, 29 per cent of adults do less than 30 minutes of moderate physical activity every week, and almost one in 10 don’t even manage to walk for more than five minutes at a time over a month. These findings point to a cost-effective and low-risk way of enhancing overall health.
The study was led by Sarah Hanson and Prof Andy Jones of UEA’s Norwich Medical School.
This research follows recent findings from the MRC Epidemiology Unit, another of the partners in CEDAR, that lack of exercise may be responsible for twice as many deaths as obesity, and a brisk 20 minute walk each day could be enough to reduce risk of early death.
- Read the full story
- Read the paper Is there evidence that walking groups have health benefits? A systematic review and meta-analysis, Sarah Hanson, Andy Jones. British Journal of Sports Medicine
Limits and labelling have reduced the availability of artificial trans fats
A systematic review by CEDAR researchers has shown that maximum limits and mandatory labelling reduced the availability of artificial trans-fatty acids (TFAs) in food items for sale or reported on food labels since 2004.
A high intake of TFA has been associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. Artificial TFAs are sometimes used in pre-prepared food as a cost-effective way to increase shelf life and improve the texture and taste of baked goods.
TFAs do occur naturally at low levels in many foods such as meat and dairy product, but levels of artificial or industrially hardened TFAs can be reduced by food manufacturers.
In a systematic review of studies that examined artificial TFA controls limiting permitted levels or mandating labelling, researchers found that regulations grounded on maximum limits and mandated labelling can lead to reductions in TFAs in food, and appear to encourage food producers to reformulate their products.
- Read the paper: Impact of Regulatory Interventions to Reduce Intake of Artificial Trans–Fatty Acids: A Systematic Review, Vivien L. Hendry, Eva Almíron-Roig, Pablo Monsivais, Susan A. Jebb, Sara E. Benjamin Neelon, Simon J. Griffin, and David B. Ogilvie. American Journal of Public Health.
Recent CEDAR publications
The following papers have been published since the last CEDAR Bulletin. All are Open Access.
- Acceptability of financial incentives and penalties for encouraging uptake of healthy behaviours: focus groups. Emma L Giles, Falko F Sniehotta1, Elaine McColl and Jean Adams. BMC Public Health
- Are GIS-modelled routes a useful proxy for the actual routes followed by commuters? Alice M. Dalton, Andrew P. Jones, Jenna Panter, David Ogilvie. Journal of Transport & Health
- The Brighton declaration: the value of non-communicable disease modelling in population health. sciences Laura Webber, Oliver T. Mytton, Adam D. M. Briggs, James Woodcock, Peter Scarborough, Klim McPherson, Simon Capewell. European Journal of Epidemiology
- Evaluating causal relationships between urban built environment characteristics and obesity: a methodological review of observational studies. Adam Martin, David Ogilvie and Marc Suhrcke. International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity
- “I used to be as fit as a linnet” – Beliefs, attitudes, and environmental supportiveness for physical activity in former mining areas in the North-East of England. Rind E, Jones A. Social Science & Medicine
- A longitudinal study of the distance that young people walk to school. Chillón P, Panter J, Corder K, Jones AP, Van Sluijs EM. Health & Place
- Potential Population-Level Nutritional Impact of Replacing Whole and Reduced-Fat Milk With Low-Fat and Skim Milk Among US Children Aged 2–19 Years. Colin D. Rehm, Adam Drewnowski, Pablo Monsivais J. Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior
- Regulations to promote healthy sleep practices in child care. Sara E. Benjamin Neelon, Kiyah Duffey,
Meghan M. Slining. Pediatrics. - Relation between diet cost and Healthy Eating Index 2010 scores among adults in the United States 2007-2010. Rehm CD, Monsivais P, Drewnowski A. Preventive Medicine
- Residential moving intentions at highway locations: The trade-off between nuisances and accessibility in the Netherlands. Marije Hamersma, Eva Heinen, Taede Tillema, Jos Arts. Transportation Research Part D: Transport and Environment
- Socio-economic dietary inequalities in UK adults: an updated picture of key food groups and nutrients from national surveillance data. Maguire ER, Monsivais P. British Journal of Nutrition.
- Sociospatial patterning of the use of new transport infrastructure: Walking, cycling and bus travel on the Cambridgeshire guided busway Eva Heinen, Jenna Panter, Alice Dalton, Andy Jones, David Ogilvie. Journal of Transport & Health
- Understanding perceived risk of type 2 diabetes in healthy middle-aged adults: A cross-sectional study of associations with modelled risk, clinical risk factors, and psychological factors. Job G. Godino, Esther M. F. van Sluijs, Stephen Sutton, Simon J. Griffin. Diabetes Research and Clinical Practice.
You can search nearly 250 CEDAR scientific papers by author, journal, study, title and abstract keywords on our publications database at www.cedar.iph.cam.ac.uk/publications
12th WHO/IDF/EASD Cambridge Diabetes Seminar – 23-29 August 2015
The Cambridge Diabetes Seminar provides a unique opportunity for participants from a range of backgrounds including clinical, research and public health, to engage in discussion, debate and collaboration on prominent issues in diabetes epidemiology. It aims to provide all those attending with a common goal to become better equipped in the epidemiological and public health aspects of diabetes and helps to foster international networks.
- When: 23 to 29 August 2015,
- Where: Clare College, University of Cambridge
- If accepted for attendance, the seminar programme, accommodation and meals will be provided free of charge. The only costs for participants are for travel to and from Cambridge.
Full details and application at www.mrc-epid.cam.ac.uk/cds2015
Upcoming talks and seminars
- Wednesday 4 March 2015, 12.30 – 1.30pm
Dr John Tayu Lee , health economist, Research Design Service, Imperial College London
CEDAR/MRC Epidemiology Seminar: The association between multimorbidity, healthcare utilisation and out-of-pocket spending in 22 countries: evidence from WHO SAGE and SHARE
Meeting rooms, Level 4, Institute of Metabolic Sciences, Addenbrooke’s Treatment Centre (ATC)
- Tuesday 28 April 2015, 12.30 – 1.30pm
Prof Gavin Turrell, Faculty of Health, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia
CEDAR/MRC Epidemiology Seminar: Designing cities to improve health and well-being: contributions from the HABITAT multilevel longitudinal study of Brisbane (Australia) neighbourhoods
Large seminar room, Cambridge Institute for Public Health.
- Friday 15 May 2015, 1.00 – 2.00pm
Martin White, MRC Epidemiology Unit and CEDAR; Director of the NIHR Public Health Research Programme
Bradford Hill Seminar: Title TBC
Large seminar room, Cambridge Institute for Public Health. Directions here.
To receive email notifications of future CEDAR/MRC Epidemiology Seminars, complete the form at
www.cedar.iph.cam.ac.uk/news/seminars
Details of Bradford Hill Seminars can be found at: www.iph.cam.ac.uk/news/seminars
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Questions and comments to Oliver Francis: ocf26@cam.ac.uk