10 Actions to Tackle Obesity
Dr Tim Lobstein
Director of Policy, International Association for the Study of Obesity
(IASO) and International Obesity TaskForce (IOTF)
Initial responses of governments to tackle obesity focus on educational support to encourage
individual behaviour change. However, the lack of success of this approach is leading some
governments to seek further policy measures. Based on the IOTF policy framework for analysing
the causes of obesity and the UK Foresight modeling of obesity drivers, this lecture considers the
need for governments to increase their policy responses to the growing problem of obesity and
focuses on the role of government and the opportunities governments have in making
interventions – or, better, making investments – in the policy areas. A short-list of ten actions, to
be used as campaign tools for health advocacy, are proposed.
Dr Tim Lobstein was appointed Director of Policy and Programmes in 2008
having worked for IASO and IOTF on child obesity and public policy issues for
several years. Prior to this he was Director of an advocacy body, The UK
Food Commission, and consultant on food and nutrition policy to the
European Commission, the World Health Organization and several national
and international government and non-government bodies. Dr Lobstein is
principal investigator of POLMARK, an internationally-funded study of
influences on children’s diets, and STANMARK, an EU-funded project to
develop international marketing standards for children’s food and
beverages. He is also a work-package leader and adviser in eight European
and US research projects.
Monday February 17 February
5.15pm – 6.00pm
Venue: Nordmeyer Lecture Theatre
No charge. All welcome.
Followed by refreshments
Hosted by the Health Promotion and Policy Research Unit, Department of Public Health,
University of Otago Wellington