Susan Jebb
Dr Susan Jebb is head of Nutrition and Health at the Human Nutrition Research (HNR) division of the Medical Research Council, specialising in the role of diet in the aetiology and treatment of obesity and its related metabolic diseases. Dr Jebb also leads the HNR Communication team, which focuses on the translation of health science into policy and practice. The team works with policymakers, health professionals, industry, the media and NGOs. [1]
Jebb is the current chair of the Healthy Weight Healthy Lives: Independent Expert Advisory Group established by the Department of Health. According to the Dept of Health website:
- The Expert Advisory Panel was originally established to provide the Cross-Government Obesity Unit with expert advice on the evidence that emerged from the Foresight Tackling Obesities: Future Choices project. The group also ensured that Healthy Weight, Healthy Lives: a Cross-Government Strategy for England built on this evidence effectively in the broader context of pragmatic policy making.[2]
Jebb is also chair of the Association for the Study of Obesity (ASO) board. [3]
On the 10th of November 2011, Dr Jebb received an OBE for services to public health. [4]
Research Funding
The British Medical Journal (BMJ) recently carried out this investigation which revealed an extensive network of links between public health scientists and sugar industry.
The investigation showed that researchers working for the Medical Research Council’s Human Nutrition Research unit (HNR) receive research fusing from sugar and other related industries. Jebb as leader of Nutrition and Health at the Human Nutrition Research led 10 research projects between 2004 to 2015 with £1.37 million in total funding from various food companies. [5] The companies included Coca-Cola, Mars, Nestlé, Sainsbury’s, the Institute of Brewing and Distilling and Weight Watchers International. [6]
The BMJ found that that public health scientists and a government committee working on nutritional advice do receive funding from companies whose products are widely held to be responsible for the obesity crisis. [6]
Jebb however told BMJ that all of her research was analysed and reported independently of industry, and added, 'Everything I do, whether in my research or as chair of the responsibility deal, is to try to improve public health.' [6]
Affiliations
As at March 2010:[7]
- Head of Nutrition and Health Research at Human Nutrition Research (HNR)[8]
- Member of the Change4Life Board
- Sits on the Food Standards Agency Food Policy Strategy Advisory Group
- Former Expert Advisor to the Cabinet Office Strategy Unit Review on Food
- a member of the UK Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition, the BioSciences Federation Council [9]
- Chair of the Association for the Study of Obesity (ASO) board since at least January 2010 (when the webpage was last updated). [10]
- current member of the Tanita Medical Advisory Board (as at September 2014);[11]
- past member of Nestlé Advisory Board (ceased 2010),
- Coca-Cola Advisory Board (ceased 2011)
- Heinz Advisory Board (ceased 2011)
- contributor to the Rosemary Conley Diet & Fitness magazine.[11]
Notes
- ↑ Medical Research Council [1] accessed 28 January 2011
- ↑ Department of Health Healthy Weight Healthy Lives: Independent Expert Advisory Group accessed 1st March 2010
- ↑ ASO Our Trustees, accessed 26 October 2010.
- ↑ Medical Research Council [2] accessed 28 January 2011
- ↑ James Gallagher Row over sugar firms' links to scientists BBC News, 12 February 2015, accessed 25 February 2015
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 The BMJ www.bmj.com, accessed 25 February 2015
- ↑ Department of Health Healthy Weight Healthy Lives: Independent Expert Advisory Group Members accessed 1st March 2010
- ↑ Senior Staff, MRC-HNR website, accessed 3 Mar 2010
- ↑ Senior Staff, MRC-HNR website, accessed 3 Mar 2010
- ↑ ASO Our Trustees, accessed 26 October 2010.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 Maria Bryant, Lee Ashton, Julia Brown, Susan Jebb, Judy Wright, Katharine Roberts and Jane Nixon Systematic review to identify and appraise outcome measures used to evaluate childhood obesity treatment interventions (CoOR): evidence of purpose, application, validity, reliability and sensitivity Health Technol Assess 2014; 18(51).
