Prof Carolyn Summerbell
Obesity Related Behaviours Research Group, School of Medicine and Health
University of Durham
Stockton-on-Tees, UK
http://www.dur.ac.uk/school.health/orb/cancer_research/teescake/
Project title
TeesCAKE (Tees Consumption and Activity for Kids Experience) (2008/47)
Scientific abstract
In developed countries, the prevalence of obesity among children is increasing, and the prevalence increases with increasing social deprivation. In addition, there is evidence to suggest a 'conveyor-belt' effect by which obese children mature into obese adults. In 2007 WCRF/AICR critically reviewed the evidence on diet and cancer and concluded that overweight and obesity are significant risk factors for certain types of cancer.
There is a need to develop interventions to reduce the prevalence of obesity, particularly amongst socially deprived children. Since there is good evidence that obesity is related to the energy content of the diet and an increasingly sedentary lifestyle, these interventions should focus on changing these behaviours. The proposed project will provide evidence of the efficacy of an intervention (TeesCAKE) amongst children living in socially deprived areas. The intervention has been piloted and deemed to be feasible and useful. The study will assess the efficacy of the sixteen week TeesCAKE programme in three cohorts (Year 5 2008/9; 2009/10; 2010/11) of socially deprived school children aged 9-10 years and their families from two schools over a 7 month period, compared with two matched control schools. Assessment of effect will be measured in terms of BMI (primary outcome measure), waist circumference, dietary intake, food preferences and physical activity levels in children.
Project plain language abstract
We know that being overweight or obese puts you at a greater risk of developing cancer. We also know that children are getting fatter, especially those from poorer families. We believe that the best way of avoiding obesity is to eat a healthy diet and be physically active. In 2004, we designed a new approach to promoting healthy weight in children and successfully put it into practice in a local school. We will now be working with more 9-10 year old children from four schools in one of the poorest areas of the North East of England. We will measure their weight, what they eat and why, and how physically active they are, over a whole school year. Children from two of the schools will get no additional help, but children from the other schools will be invited to take part in a number of extra activities, regardless of their body weight. These extra activities may include trips to the local football club (Middlesbrough), physical activity sessions delivered by Middlesbrough Football Club and Middlesbrough Borough Council and practical food preparation and tasting sessions at school.
| Institution and location | Degree | Year | Scientific Field |
|---|---|---|---|
| King's College, University of London, UK | BSc (Hons) | 1982 | Nutrition |
| King's College, University of London, UK | Diploma | 1984 | Dietetics |
| Council for National Academic Awards, UK | PhD | 1988 | Nutrition |
| British Dietetic Association, UK | Advanced Diploma in Dietetics | 2000 | Dietetics |
| 1998–Present | Appointed as Principal Lecturer, School of Health, University of Teesside, UK. Conferment of Readership in 2001. Conferment of Professorship in 2004. |
| 1996–1998 | Lecturer in Systematic Reviews, Royal Free Hospital School of Medicine, University of London, UK |
| 1992–1996 | Lecturer in Nutrition, St Bartholomew's Hospital Medical College, University of London, UK |
| 1990–1992 | Research Dietitian, Royal Westminster and Chelsea Hospital, London, UK |
| 1989–1990 | Research Associate, King's College, University of London, UK |
| 1988–1989 | Research Assistant, St Thomas's Hospital, London, UK |
| 1984–1988 | PhD studentship, Southbank Polytechnic and Kings College, London, UK |
| 1984–1984 | Nutrition lecturer, The Flour Advisory Bureau, London, UK |
Research interests
Public health nutrition; obesity.
