A workshop from the All-island Obesity Action Forum in association with safefood

Date:   16 June 2009

Venue: Ramada Encore Hotel, Belfast 

The aim of the workshop was to discuss best practice and the challenges in communication in relation to obesity. Key presentations provided an insight into communication from mass media, new media and retail perspectives.

Speakers included Dr Mark Davies a Consultant Clinical Psychologist from Belfast City Hospital who spoke on how health care professionals can communicate more effectively with their patients in regard to weight issues. Lynda Bryans provided a journalist’s perspective on how obesity is reported in the media while Tom Nixon discussed the new forms of media which are available and how they can be accessed. 

Pictured at the workshop from left to right:

Tom Nixon, Donald McFetridge, Lynda Bryans, Campbell Tweedie, Martin Higgins and Dr Cliodhna Foley-Nolan

Presentations from the conference are available to download by clicking on the links below. 

Programme

12.15pm - 12.30pm Registration

12.30pm - 2pm Lunch and showcase

2pm - 2.10pm
Welcome Martin Higgins, Chief Executive, safefood

2.10pm - 2.35pm
Communication at an individual level 
Dr Mark Davis, Consultant Clinical Psychologist,Belfast City Hospital

2.35pm - 2.50pm
Communication at a population level
Dr Cliodhna Foley-Nolan, Director of Human Health & Nutrition, safefood

2.50pm - 3.05pm
Learning from communications in the retail sector
Donald McFetridge, University of Ulster (no presentation available)

3.05pm - 3.20pm
Media perspective on the obesity issue
Lynda Bryans, Presenter, UTV Live

3.20pm - 3.35pm
New media techniques in health communication
Tom Nixon, co-founder Nixon McInnes

3.35pm - 3.55pm
Panel Discussion - Q & A
Chair, Martin Higgins, Chief Executive, safefood

4pm Close