Globalisation:National Obesity Forum - Collaborative Work
The NOF are in support of the following campaigns:
Child Poverty Action Group campaign for free school meals – this group, known as ‘38 degrees: people, power, change’ began in 2009 and have since been involved in ensuring the Irag Inquiry be held in public and have been in discussion with the new coalition government for a ban on private lobbying.
Children’s Food Campaign – a campaign supporting food growing activities for children. This is part of the larger group ‘Sustain’. They are headed by approximately one hundred organisations including local, regional, national and international groups.
Promtoing a holistic approach to cardiovascular risk assessment
One of the NOF’s partner organisations Sanofi-Aventis supported the NOF in this campaign along with H•E•A•R•T UK, PCCS (Primary Care Cardiovascular Society), PCDS (Primary Care Diabetes Society) with £8,625. [1]
National Obesity Week
Sanofi-Aventis also funded this campaign with £25,000 and a UK wide obesity management campaign with £40,000. [2]
Roche’s Anti-Obesity Campaign
Doctors criticised the campaign that was to promote the weight loss drug Xenical. Xenical is produced by drug manufacturer Roche who are one of the NOF’s partner organisations. Doctors said that the campaign was in breach of UK law as it was in the form of ‘direct-to-consumer advertising’. The adverts did not directly mention Xencial but carried Roche’s logo and carried the slogan "Trying to lose weight? We can make temptation old news." The chairman of the NOF at the time, Ian Campbell was the voice greeting patients on a free information line. At the time he called for the number of UK patients being prescribed obesity drugs to be doubled. [3]
Shock Tactics Approach
It was reported in The Times that without ‘radical tactics’ the message about the problem of obesity in the UK would not reach all members of society. The adverts are to be part of a wider £325 million campaign called “Change4Life” to promote fitness in the run up to the 2012 London Olympic Games. [4]Tam Fry criticised the use of posters and leaflets and said that people need to be approached ‘face-to-face’ in order to reach all members of the community. The NOF support the Change4Life Campaign which is now backed by fast food chains and confectionary manufacturers such as Mars, Cadbury and Coca-Cola. Tam fry did show his horror at the use of brands to support the campaign but there was no comment about the NOF’s future involvement. [5]
Positive Collaboration?
The NOF’s Campaign history shows a combination of what appears to be both positive and negative associations. Their ties to drug manufacturers have lead to campaigns that may be considered illegal, on the other hand they do live up to some of their aims in the work they do with smaller groups and schools.
Notes
- ↑ Sanofi-Aventis Sponsorship accessed 16 November 2010
- ↑ Sanofi-Aventis Sponsorship accessed 16 November 2010
- ↑ Sarah-Kate Templeton “Drug firm's obesity 'advert' should be banned, say GPs” ‘The Sunday Herald’ 15 June 2003, accessed 16 November 2010
- ↑ David Rose Weight-loss Campaign Will Use Shock Tactics” ‘The Times’ 10 November 2008, accessed 16 November 2010
- ↑ Jeremy Laurance “Food Firms Take Over Anti-Obesity Campaign” ‘The Independent’ 8 July 2010, accessed 16 November 2010
