Project launch
Health Equalities Group officially launched the project at an online event on 14th July 2022 that was open to the wider public and non-health organisations, in addition to traditional health stakeholders.
Chaired by Liz Bishop (CEO Clatterbridge Cancer Centre & SRO CMCA), the event attracted over 250 people and heard from 13 speakers through presentations and panel discussions, and launched a new system-wide network that will focus on overweight and obesity as modifiable risk factors for cancers.
The event drew attention to overweight and obesity being the second largest modifiable risk factor for cancers, and the higher prevalence of people living with obesity in Cheshire and Merseyside.
Agenda
Delegates heard from a wide range of speakers from national organisations, including Cancer Research UK and The Health Foundation, plus local stakeholders from both health and non-health sectors, including NHS Cheshire and Merseyside, Sefton Public health, Merseytravel, Onward Homes and Cheshire and Warrington LEP. Lived experience also features prominently as part of proceedings with a moving presentation from patient advocate Angela Chesworth, who discussed her experience of living with obesity.
Delegates were also given details on two pieces of initial research carried out by the project. Dr Robin Ireland from Health Equalities Group presented key findings from interviews concerning obesity and cancer prevalence with 17 stakeholders conducted between May and June 2022. In addition, members of LJMU’s school of data science presented new quantitative research to develop correlation ‘mind maps’ that account for the statistical relationship between obesity, cancer and deprivation.
Presentation slides
John Hayes, Managing Director, CMCA
Cancer prevention, overweight and obesity - why this issue matters to our region
Malcolm Clark, Senior Prevention Policy Manager, Cancer Research UK
Overweight and obesity projections for the UK and preventative policies
Angela Chesworth, Patient Advocate
"Barriers I've face as a Person Living with Obesity"
Robin Ireland, Director of Research, Health Equalities Group
National and regional stakeholder insight into taking a whole systems approach to overweight and obesity
Louise Marshall, Senior Research Fellow, The Health Foundation
Thinking differently about health and obesity
Dr Ian Jarman & Dr Philippa McCabe, Data Science Research Centre, LJMU
New obesity, cancer and deprivation data mapping for C&M
Matthew Philpott, Executive Director, Health Equalities Group
Next steps in CMCA Strategic Obesity Project and call to action for all stakeholders