EASO Stakeholder Session - Working Together

EASO Policy Stakeholder Sessions are a chance to explore a policy topic of concern to our community in from a range of perspectives and see where we can make a difference.

Contact EASO Policy Lead Jacqueline Bowman-Busato for further information: jbowman@easo.org

Moderators: Jacqueline Bowman-Busato, Policy Lead, EASO and Euan Woodward, Executive Director, EASO

Joining the conversation:

  • Jason Halford, President European Association for the Study of Obesity (EASO)
  • Susie Birney, Secretary European Coalition for People Living with Obesity (ECPO)
  • Maura Murphy, Secretary Irish Coalition for People with Obesity (ICPO)
  • Niamh Arthurs, ASOI Committee Member, and Registered Dietitian and Researcher
  • Dr Louise Tully, Post Doctoral Researcher, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland

Obesity policy at national level must have the needs of patients at its core. To achieve policy change, researchers, clinicians and professional associations must work closely with patient communities to ensure their needs are taken into account at every step of the process.

But how well do researchers really understand patients’ needs and values? How can patients be positioned alongside researchers not just as subjects of obesity treatment and management, but as active partners? And how can we better equip patient organisations to work closely with other stakeholders?

This month’s Stakeholder Session will explore these questions from a range of perspectives, bringing in experiences from Ireland where successful cooperation has led to a new Model of Care on obesity.

Register for the event here:

https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZAtc-qqrDosGtzGXFnEJRbmQbW-kru-8s28

Professor Jason Halford

Professor Jason Halford, President
European Association for the Study of Obesity (EASO)

Professor Jason Halford is Head of the School of Psychology, University of Leeds, and President of the European Association for the Study of Obesity.

Professor Jason Halford is Head of the School of Psychology, University of Leeds, and President Elect of the European Association for the Study of Obesity.  His research has focused on eating behaviour and weight management, and the role of psychological factors in weight gain and weight loss, with a recent focus on stress and coping.

Susie Birney

Susie Birney, Secretary
European Coalition for People Living with Obesity (ECPO)

Susie Birney is from Dublin, born in 1975.

She lives with an eating disorder called ARFID. Despite being physically active growing up, Type 2 Diabetes and other co-morbidities have been health barriers for her since her 30’s.

In 2015 Susie had a Roux-en-Y, with her diabetes in remission since. Coping with regain is a daily challenge.
Susie is a patient representative with the Association for the Studies of Obesity Ireland (ASOI)

She is Secretary of the European Coalition for People Living with Obesity (ECPO). She also leads the newly formed national patient led organization the Irish Coalition for People Living with Obesity (ICPO)

Susie shares her experiences to help address weight stigma and help to improve the lives of those who live with obesity.

Maura Murphy

Maura Murphy, Patient Representative
Irish Coalition for People with Obesity (ICPO)

Maura Murphy lives in Mayo Ireland.

Despite a very sporty and active childhood Maura developed from having the experiences of living with overweight to then obesity. She is familiar with different treatments needed for obesity, personally understanding weight regain and the stigma that comes with it.

She is the founder of a Dublin patient support group in 2011 which led her to become a patient advocate with the ASOI from 2018. Realising the high prevalence of obesity, Maura was keen to learn and raise awareness of obesity knowing her own family and friends are directly affected.

Maura is a founding member and now the Secretary of the Irish Coalition for People Living with Obesity.

Dr Louise Tully

Dr Louise Tully

Louise is a postdoctoral researcher with the Obesity Research and Care Group at the RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences in Dublin, and a registered public health nutritionist. She is also a committee member of the Association for the Study of Obesity on the island of Ireland.

Louise’s research interests include nutrition in the first 1000 days, and the use of telehealth for children and adolescents with obesity. She currently works on a project aimed at building capacity for child and adolescent obesity management services in Ireland, under the supervision of EASO secretary Dr Grace O’Malley.

Niamh Arthurs

Niamh Arthurs

Niamh Arthurs is a Registered Dietitian and Researcher with a deep-rooted passion for helping individuals and families affected by obesity.

Niamh currently works as part of a team in the national paediatric obesity treatment service in Children’s Health Ireland at Temple Street (http://w82go.ie/) and as part of the Obesity Research and Care Group at The Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland. Being a committee member of the Association for the Study of Obesity on the Island of Ireland (ASOI: https://asoi.info/), fuels Niamh’s motivation, determination and commitment to make positive contributions to those affected by obesity. Niamh is keen to contribute to obesity research and practice, in order to enable improvements in healthcare, policy, service development and enhance the lived experience for individuals and families affected by obesity.

About EASO – www.easo.org

Established in 1986, EASO is a federation of professional membership associations from 36 countries, with a network of over 130 specialist Collaborating Centres for Obesity Management across the region. EASO’s mission is to reduce the burden of unhealthy weight, and it promotes action through collaboration in research, education and policy. EASO represents scientists, health care practitioners, physicians, public health experts and patients.