Helping the public live long, healthy and happy lives

Utilizing expertise in behavioural science, clinical medicine and population health, to provide evidenced-based interventions and advice to guide public health practice and policy to help people to live well and live longer.

Food labelling

Our researchers are testing creative and innovative ways of conveying nutritional information about food and drinks to the public, improving food labelling to make it easier for people to select healthier options.

We found that physical activity calorie equivalent (PACE) labelling – which highlights the duration and type of physical activity needed to expend the calories they contain – people were encouraged to reduce their calorie consumption by around 200 calories per day.

• Daley AJ, Bleich SN. Should physical activity calorie equivalent (PACE) labelling be introduced on food labels and menus to reduce excessive calorie consumption? Issues and opportunities. Preventative Medicine December 2021 Volume 153. DOI: 10.1016/j.ypmed.2021.106813.
• Daley AJ, McGee E, Bayliss S, Coombe A, Parretti HM. Effects of physical activity calorie equivalent food labelling to reduce food selection and consumption: systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled studies. Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health 2020;74:269-275. DOI: 10.1136/jech-2019-213216.

Community-based weight management support

With over 60% of people in the UK now overweight or obese, exploring ways to help people manage their weight is a key focus of CLiMB’s research.

One way to support weight management is through interventions delivered in primary care by GPs, nurses, dentists and pharmacists. Our research has shown that weight management interventions delivered within primary care are effective in helping people to reduce their weight.

Research in this area is exploring new ways of applying the NHS ‘make every contact count’ approach to encourage positive lifestyle changes in patients, lifestyle interventions to support new mothers to lose weight after having a baby, and whether routine dental appointments could be an opportunity to offer weight checks to the public and provide support if required.

• Madigan CD, Graham H, Sturgiss E, Kettle V, Gokal K, Biddle GJH, Taylor GMJ, Daley AJ. Effectiveness of weight management interventions in adults delivered by primary care practitioners: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials. BMJ 2022; 377. DOI: 10.1136/bmj-2021-069719.
• Daley AJ, Jolly K, Ives N, Jebb SA, Tearne S, Greenfield SM, Yardley L, Little P, Tyldesley-Marshall N, Bensoussane H, Pritchett RV, Frew E, Parretti HM. Practice nurse-supported weight self-management delivered within the national child immunisation programme for postnatal women: a feasibility cluster RCT. Health Technol Assess. 2021;25(49):1-130. DOI: 10.3310/hta25490.
• Daley, A. Time to get our teeth into reducing obesity: should dentists screen and deliver interventions to reduce obesity in the population? Br Dent J 232, 78–79 (2022). DOI: 10.1038/s41415-022-3872-z.

Physical activity interventions

One in four adults in the UK are physically inactive. As a nation, we spend long periods of time sitting every day. Physical inactivity increases the risk of developing preventable diseases such as cardiovascular disease and some cancers, and of dying prematurely.

Our research has found that physical activity interventions delivered in primary care settings increased participation in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity by 14 minutes per week. Although this sounds a modest increase, it has a significant impact on the risk of dying prematurely.

We conduct research into exercise oncology: the prevention and management of cancer through physical activity. Although physical activity can reduce the risk of cancer by up to 24%, lessen treatment related symptoms and lower the risk of re-occurrence, it is not routinely promoted to all patients within the NHS.

• Kettle V, Madigan CD, Coombe A, Graham H, Thomas JJC, Chalkley AE, Daley AJ. Effectiveness of physical activity interventions delivered or prompted by health professionals in primary care settings: systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials. The BMJ. 2022. BMJ 2022; 376. DOI: 10.1136/bmj-2021-068465.
• Sherar LB, Cumming SP. Human biology of physical activity in the growing child. Annals of Human Biology, Volume 47, 2020 - Issue 4: Special issue: Human Biology of Physical Activity. DOI: 10.1080/03014460.2020.1816934.

Find out more about the research being undertaken to help the public live long, healthy and happy lives, by visiting the CLiMB website, or find out more about the researchers involved in the projects above using the information below.