Professor Kevin Fenton is the Director of Well being and Wellbeing at Public Well being England. Which means he’s the person liable for a lot of well being campaigns that intention to assist males to beat fats. MAN v FAT obtained the possibility to speak to him about his views on weight problems, carbs, the ever-controversial Eatwell Plate and whether or not sufficient is being carried out to assist males. 
Hello Kevin, thanks for taking the time to reply the questions we’ve obtained and people we had from our readers. The quantity of ideas exhibits that this can be a subject that loads of males really feel strongly about! Just so our readers know a bit about your personal background with weight reduction have you ever tried any explicit diets earlier than?
Through the years I’ve explored varied choices whether or not it’s the paleo food plan or following the no carbs after a sure time concept, however I really benefit from the means of being aware about what I’m consuming and consuming. I can see the totally different that it makes with my power ranges and my weight and the way I’m feeling. I’ve at all times needed to be very aware about my weight, as a result of I’ve a household historical past of hypertension. Each time I’ve placed on just a few further kilos I can see the change in my systolic blood strain nearly instantly.
Additionally, over the summer season I began operating along with the burden coaching I used to be already doing. I’m totally having fun with it now. There’s a physique of proof that claims it takes between six to eight weeks for a brand new behaviour to grow to be ingrained as a behavior and I can let you know that getting off the bed and going out operating at 5.30am took a while to grow to be ingrained! I can see this changing into actually infectious although so I’m already beginning to discover 5k and 10k runs and attempting to curb my pure competitiveness.
Given your place presumably there’s an additional strain on you to take care of a wholesome life-style?
I don’t really feel a strain due to my job, if something it’s a priviledge. Doing the work I’m doing, which is admittedly being a nationwide champion for wellbeing signifies that you perceive so clearly about how your exercise, your alcohol consumption, your social connectedness with others, all these behaviours are usually not solely influencing my very own well being but additionally by my networks. My place as an examplar means you grow to be way more aware about your wholesome behaviours, however I’ve come to get pleasure from that.
At PHE you’re liable for a variety of well being initiatives that cowl sexual well being, smoking cessation in addition to weight – how do you resolve what will get precedence?
There are a selection of the way we resolve what takes precedence. The primary is taking a look at knowledge to see what are the elements which are driving untimely demise or incapacity inside our society and asking how can we as a public well being organisation assist the NHS and authorities to deal with these. Second we now have to consider the place we’ll get the best return on an funding. Funding into weight problems now may have large impacts on the pressures on the NHS, reversing the tide of the diabetes epidemic and heart problems. It’s additionally more likely to have an effect on the degrees of dementia that we’re seeing sooner or later and the collateral advantages of extra exercise and higher vitamin will affect on the degrees of most cancers, muscular-skeletal ailments and problems and psychological well being. Weight problems is totally a precedence.
[blocktext align=”left”]We’ve to consider the place we’ll get the best return on an funding. Funding into weight problems now may have large impacts on the pressures on the NHS.[/blocktext]
You’ve labored in a lot of totally different areas by your profession – what’s it in regards to the problem of the weight problems epidemic that makes it notably complicated?
It’s a lot of issues. One huge one is that as a nation we’ve misplaced the attitude to see that the overwhelming majority of individuals are actually overweight or obese – we’ve misplaced that sensitivity to understanding what a traditional weight is. That makes it tougher for us to understand the advantages of being a traditional weight and figuring out what that appears like.
Second the weight problems downside could be very complicated as a result of it’s a dynamic interplay between atmosphere, societal elements, household elements and particular person behaviour and there’s nobody easy resolution – in any other case we might have solved it! You do must have all of these elements addressed, nearly on the identical time to get a long-lasting affect and that makes the work tougher.
Third, it’s about understanding that the weight problems epidemic didn’t happen in a single day, nevertheless it’s been slowly occuring over a long time. Reversing the pattern goes to take a while as effectively.
Are you optimistic in regards to the progress within the battle in opposition to weight problems?
I’m cautiously optimistic. We’re at a place now the place we now have new gamers on this area who can take into consideration this downside in new methods and produce about options to what has historically been a fancy and intractable downside. Whether or not it’s Native Authorities who’re in a position to have a look at native property together with leisure services, public parks and transport. Or the NHS eager about medical well being interventions. 
I’m additionally inspired as a result of beginning final yr we started to see some modifications within the prevalence of childhood weight problems and a reversal in among the traits which is the primary time that’s been reported. Within the US they’re additionally seeing comparable traits (see infographic left). Grownup weight problems goes to take a while and we have to present that we’re stopping younger individuals from changing into overweight however we’re additionally offering tailor-made programmes to assist obese and overweight individuals to get again to a wholesome weight.
Is sufficient being carried out to assist males who need to drop pounds?
I believe this can be a huge space of alternative. I’m undecided that the market as a complete has tapped into the truth that really there are extra males who’re obese than girls. If you considered participating with males and what works with weight discount in addition to how finest to interact it’s an enormous alternative. We definitely see it as an enormous alternative for the work we’re doing and we’re working with the Males’s Well being Discussion board to consider revolutionary programmes and we’re taking a look at working with Native Authority programmes.
That stated, we get it. That is an space the place we will add worth, however we additionally must stimulate our exterior companions to consider how we assist males as effectively. We’ve centered on weight reduction programmes that disproportionately recruit girls and now’s the time to consider equating the gender steadiness.
[blocktext align=”right”]We’ve centered on weight reduction programmes that disproportionately recruit girls and now’s the time to consider equating the gender steadiness. [/blocktext]
As a part of your position you’re liable for Change4Life and the Eatwell Plate, which regularly is available in for an enormous quantity of criticism, do you suppose that’s honest?
We all know that the eatwell plate works. We all know that as a result of we’ve carried out focus teams with stakeholders, members of the general public; we all know it as a result of it’s been adopted by many different authorities departments, instructional settings and charities which are utilizing the plate to make sure we now have constant messages. This idea of a nationwide plate that may make suggestions actual to households and people isn’t new, however we do know that it really works. I settle for that it will not be excellent to satisfy the wants of each stakeholder, however it’s what it’s. The important thing query we have to ask is how can we proceed to evolve and develop the Eatwell Plate as we get higher proof and that’s one thing we’re commited to doing.
The 2 largest areas of concern I routinely hear are the position of carbohydrates and the position of fats as depicted within the Eatwell Plate – are they up for evaluate?
Chances are you’ll know that the Scientific Advisory Committee on Vitamin (SACN) lately introduced their draft suggestions on carbohydrates within the British food plan and arising from their last suggestions we’ll replace the Eatwell Plate. That will even be an opportunity for us to make among the amends that we’ve heard from colleagues. One continued supply of concern is that it doesn’t embody any reference to liquids equivalent to sugary drinks and alcohol which have grow to be sources of extra calorie consumption and must be on the plate.
In the intervening time we’re not going to be trying on the position of fat. We do know that with saturated fat the massive concern we now have is the sturdy relationship it has with excessive ranges of ldl cholesterol and its relationship with heart problems. The proof and the talk on the position of fat within the food plan waxes and wanes, however we’re clear in the intervening time in regards to the hyperlink between saturated fats and coronary heart illness. All I can say is that we’re engaged on the Eatwell Plate on account of suggestions and modifications will likely be made within the subsequent yr.
[blocktext align=”right”]We desperately want a brand new era of meals literate youngsters, youngsters who perceive meals provenance and vitamin.[/blocktext]
Do you suppose the federal government must intervene to cease the meals trade including a lot extra sugar to meals?
Earlier than we get to authorities intervention there may be going to be a change within the zeitgeist. We want that change within the relationship we now have to sugar and the position of sugar in our food plan. It began during the last yr and there was a progress within the advocacy organisations which are centered on that. We’ve come out very strongly in regards to the position of sugar and the necessity for us to cut back it. We’re not desirous to demonise any particular product however we need to make sure that there’s higher mindfullness in regards to the meals varieties in our food plan and the implications of over-consumption of anyone.
We discovered lots from the marketing campaign to cut back salt in our food plan. For salt it was the collaboration with trade that was pushed by sturdy insurance policies and public schooling that noticed modifications in salt discount. That’s been a strong lever and we’re at first of the journey with sugar and there are many classes we will draw from the scenario with salt. We’ve to be actually cautious to hurry to legislate on sugar as a result of there are numerous international locations which have instituted insurance policies or taxations however there was little or no proof on its effectiveness.
Lastly, one criticism that’s typically leveled at Change4Life is that its funds is so small compared to the cash that huge meals firms can put into advertising much less optimistic messages. What would you do if the budgets have been reversed?
If the tables have been turned I might tackle this challenge within the complete means that it deserves. Desirous about higher insurance policies, schooling on food plan, altering the obesogenic atmosphere we’re dwelling in in the intervening time and actually eager about the burden on excessive streets of low-cost energy and quick meals. We have to do work on schooling as a result of we desperately want a brand new era of meals literate youngsters, youngsters who perceive meals provenance and vitamin. Then I’d spend cash on the inequalities round meals – we’ve seen a progress in meals financial institution utilization and a progress in meals poverty and I’d like to have the ability to have programmes that particularly tackle these points. That’s what I’d spend the cash on!
Our because of Kevin for speaking to us – what do you suppose? What would you modify on the Eatwell Plate when you might make one alteration? Do you suppose sufficient is being carried out to assist males drop pounds and have you ever ever felt that the main target is an excessive amount of on serving to girls? Tell us!
