Opening event for men's health week announced

The details have been announced for the ground-breaking weight-loss conference that will kick off this year's Men's Health Week. It promises to be quite an event with ex-footballer Trevor Brooking in the chair and minister of public health Melanie Johnson delivering a keynote speech.

Sponsored by the Department of Health, Hazardous Waist? New Approaches to Tackling Male Weight Problems will take place Monday 13 June at Savoy Place Conference Centre on the Embankment, London.

According to official statistics, 47 per cent of men were classified as overweight and 21 per cent as obese in 2001. It is predicted that, by 2013, 78 per cent of men will be overweight or obese.

MHF Director Peter Baker says: 'This is the first conference to focus on why men have weight problems, how common these are, the problems they cause, and why a male-specific approach will make a major contribution to tackling the public health problem of obesity. A particular problem for men is that excess weight tends to be stored in the abdomen, where the fat deposits create additional metabolic risks. Decreases in male life expectancy due to being overweight/obese have been found to be similar to those caused by smoking.

'Little work has so far been done to address the problem of male overweight and obesity. Most advice is aimed at women, especially when it is provided via the media or through commercial organisations which promote weight-loss programmes or products. Male-specific attitudes and behavioursin relation to diet, exercise, body image and help-seeking have rarely been taken into account.'

The conference will:

• Increase understanding of the scale of male overweight/obesity and its consequences for health
• Raise awareness of the need to develop policy and practice that includes men and boys
• Develop and disseminate good practice in tackling overweight/obesity in men and boys

The meeting will be chaired by Sir Trevor Brooking, the Football Association's Director of Football Development and feature a ministerial address from Melanie Johnson MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Public Health. Other speakers will include Dr David Haslam (National Obesity Forum) Alan White (Professor of Men's Health, Leeds Metropolitan University and Chair, Men's Health Forum), Dr Ian Banks (President, Men's Health Forum) and David Wilkins (Policy Officer, Men's Health Forum).

There will be workshops on Primary care, Secondary care, Community pharmacies, Community-based services, James Leishman, the Camelon Centre, Working with boys/younger men, The Australian GutBusters Programme, The workplace, Using the media to support male weight loss, Male body image, Involving men in increased physical activity, Working with older men, Caroline Robertson, Working with black and minority ethnic men, Working with disabled men, Psychological impact of overweight/obesity, The role of commercial weight loss organisations, Eating disorders. There will also be a panel discussion

Free pedometer to all delegates

Walk your way to the conference from your London tube, bus or train station. All delegates will be given a free pedometer sponsored by the BBC Big Challenge and a walking route map.

• Exhibition and sponsorship - the conference exhibition aims to provide real educational benefit as well as entertainment for the expected 320 delegates. All organisations interested in exhibiting at this conference should contact the Conference Manager, Maggie Pettifer on 01608 674410 or email: magpett@supanet.com
• For those unable to attend - Delegate bag contents (programme, abstracts and commercial information) are available on CD-ROM to those unable to attend on the day for £45. Again, details from Maggie Pettifer on 01608 674410 or email: magpett@supanet.com
• Book of the conference - A book about men, weight and obesity, based on this conference, will be published by Radcliffe Publishing in 2006.

Full details available here.