Healthy People
There is a wealth of research undertaken that relates to healthy weight, weight management and experiences of obesity. At the University of Hertfordshire our research often seeks to identify and better understand the social and socio-economic determinants of weight-related practices. What is the ‘lived experience’ of being underweight, a healthy weight, overweight or obese for children, teenagers, adults and older adults? How do relative poverty, affluence or ethnicity influence the way populations manage their weight?
We are also concerned with looking at the broader determinants of weight management. How do people negotiate the ‘foodscapes’ that surround them? What factors help or hinder within communities in terms of access to food that is safe, nutritious, and provides a socially acceptable diet?
In or Out – A Slice of What we Eat
One such study, led by Prof. Wendy Wills considers Food provision in later life: A study about people’s experiences of getting food in the UK, and this short film, funded by a UH impact grant, brings to life research on food and drink purchasing ‘beyond the school gate’.
This film helps illustrate findings from research led by Dr Wendy Wills from the University of Hertfordshire that involved more than 600 13-15 year olds to explore out why many young people go ‘beyond the school gate’ at lunchtime to buy food and drink.
Links to papers that relate to the healthy weight local public health priority
Correlates of overall and central obesity in adults from seven European countries: findings from the Food4Me Study.
Predicting energy expenditure in overweight and obesity.
Body mass index in older people.
Coeliac disease.
Dr Samantha Rogers is an Early Career Research Fellow in the Centre for Research in Public Health and Community Care.
Dr Rogers has a long-standing interest in parent-child interactions and factors associated with weight gain and feeding behaviours. Dr Rogers’ research has investigated a variety of factors that are related to eating behaviours and weight gain in early life, such as breastfeeding, maternal sensitivity and cortisol metabolism. Recent papers include:
Understanding the impact of diet and nutrition on symptoms of Tourette Syndrome: A Scoping Review
Dr Rogers convenes the University’s Weight and Obesity Research Group, a multi-disciplinary group of academics and researchers from across the University of Hertfordshire.
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