Laurel Devina Edmunds

Dr Laurel Devina Edmunds is a child/adolescent weight management specialist. Her areas of expertise include the psycho-social aspects of childhood obesity, interview-based research, reviewing the prevention and treatment evidence base and helping families with child weight management. She is an independent consultant and researcher. She currently working as a systematic reviewer (University of Teesside), exploring mothers' opinions for a new weaning intervention (RCPCH/University of Warwick) and as a psychologist in the children's obesity clinic at the Bristol Royal Children's Hospital. She runs workshops for health professionals and was one of the 'experts' in ITV's 'Transformed: Overweight Kids' 15th August 2005.

Qualifications

• Ph.D. University of Exeter 1994-1999 Primary prevention in children at risk of obesity as adults.
• PGCE University of Bristol 1991-1992 Biology with integrated science
• M.Sc University of Bath 1987-1988 Applied Biological Sciences with Business Studies
• B.Sc. (Hons) 2i University of Plymouth 1983-1986 Biological Sciences
• Art Foundation Course Staffordshire University 1981-1982

Awards

• University of Oxford, Merit Award 2002
• Association for the Study of Obesity, Junior Researcher Prize 1999
• University of Exeter, 3 year PhD Scholarship 1994-1997
• MAFF, Scholarship for MSc 1987-1988

Activities

• Specialist Advisor - House of Commons Health Select Committee Inquiry into obesity 2003-2004
• Co-opted Expert to the NICE guidelines development group 2004
• Author- National childhood obesity weight management guidelines: Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health and National Obesity Forum guidelines for primary care and paediatricians 2001-2002
• Member of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health Research Group on obesity 2003-date
• Member of the Obesity Advisory Panel at Health Development Agency 2002-2003
• Author: of childhood obesity articles in health professionals literature e.g. Obesity in Practice, National Obesity Forum, Young Minds Magazine 2000-date
• Director of The Obesity Awareness and Solutions Trust (TOAST) 2004-date

Publications

Edmunds' website lists her publications including papers, book chapters and commissioned reports. Most of these articles cover childhood obesity. Some of these publications have been jointly produced with Professor Carolyn Summerbell PhD, of the Association for the Study of Obesity.

Contact details

• Tel: 01865 725012
• Mob: 07792514830
• Email: laureledmunds@gmail.com
• Website: http://www.laureledmunds.com