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NOVEMBER 2003 However, as the October meeting was cancelled the Annual General Meeting was held prior to the symposium. Dr C J Harrison, President of the Section introduced the speakers as follows:- Dr P Bundred Why is obesity an issue? Fat babies become fat toddlers who become fat teenagers and fat adults. But not all fat babies are fat adults and not all fat adults were fat babies. Dr Bundred looked at why we get fat and went on to discuss the study carried our in Wirral pre-school children between 1988 to 2002. Dr A Hill Psychological problems are the most common and immediate form of morbidity associated with childhood obesity. This presentation applied current theoretical perspectives on self-esteem to research on the self and social perception of obese children and young adolescents. Children's experience of fat teasing and their dieting reports were also described. Dr P Gately The presentation focussed on the development and outcomes of a range of treatment options. It discussed some of the issues that affect the range of outcomes that are seen in treatment programmes to date. In addition, Dr Gately drew on his experiences working with overweight and obese children in order to give an outcome and process perspective. A five minute questions and answers session took place after each lecture. Over 100 members and guests attended the symposium, which was a huge success. The speakers were thanked for their erudite lectures by the President and received prolonged applause by the audience.
A meeting of the Public Health Forum of the Manchester Medical Society was held on Thursday, 15th January 2004 in Theatre 4 of the Medical School, University of Manchester. Professor Paul Bellaby , Professor of the Sociology of Health and Director, Institute for Public Health, Research and Policy at the University of Salford address the second meeting of the year on the important global question:
"H2 for C: Might substituting
hydrogen Professor Bellaby began by reminding us that our current reserves of natural gas and crude oil are running out and that consumption is uneven with many developed countries consuming more than their fair share. He then focussed on three areas where carbon usage has led to inequalities. Firstly, air pollution where even in rich countries population and traffic coincide with poorer areas. Air pollution causes respiratory and heart conditions. The more H2 for C, the less air pollution and the greater benefit to the poor. Secondly, global warming where the use of carbon adds to the increase in temperature. This increase in temperature will particularly affect those who depend on agriculture i.e. people living in poorer countries. Thirdly, geopolitics where wars and terrorism are fought to ensure secure supplies of energy. The capacity to generate H2 is widespread. However there are many other inequalities around energy production and consumption which will be unaffected by the substitution of H2 for C. These include: continuation of the high-energy economy, increasing traffic congestion, abuse of patients and wealth and income inequalities. In concluding, Professor Bellaby called on the Public Health community to break with both biomedical and "trickle down" models of health inequalities and focus instead on the causes and dynamics of health inequalities globally. Substituting H2 for C will reduce health inequalities due to air pollution , global warming and geopolitical imbalance. However, other health inequalities may well impede progress. A lively question and answer session followed the talk. Dr Chris Harrison, President of the Public Health Forum thanked Professor Bellaby for bringing the global perspective on health inequalities to our local audience. After the meeting Professor Bellaby and members of Council continued the discussion over a glass of wine at a local hostelry.
A meeting of the Public health Forum, of the Manchester Medial Society, was held on Thursday 19th February 2004 at 2.00 pm in the Seminar Rooms 1 & 2 of the Postgraduate Health Sciences Centre, Manchester Royal Infirmary. This meeting not only hosted the Festival of Public Health Work but also combined the Grand Rounds. The aims of the meeting were:
An impressive 26 papers were received and after much deliberation, The Council decided that all papers would be accepted for poster presentation. The following candidates displayed their posters on the day: Partnership Mick Pierce, North
Manchester PCT Hodan Noor, Central
Manchester PCT Anna Smith & Claire
Beadman, North Manchester PCT Janet Mantle,
Manchester Health Promotion Specialist Service Population Studies Roger Harrison Iain Buchan,
University of Manchester Georgios Lyratzopoulos,
University of Manchester Richard Heller,
University of Manchester Alex Cornwell,
University of Manchester Evaluative Work Roger Harrison, Bolton
NHS PCT Richard Edwards,
University of Manchester Karen O'Brien, Central
Manchester PCT Michelle Langois,
University of Manchester Improving services Karen O'Brien, Central
Manchester PCT Ashley Harling,
central Manchester PCT Work in progress Ann Inman, North
Manchester PCT Christine Furber &
Monica Haggart, University of Manchester Members and guests, including the candidates, viewed the posters and Dr Chris Harrison, the President, gave a summary and introduction to the next session. Working groups were then formed and the following questions were addressed:
After approx 40 minutes, feedback from the working groups was discussed. Finally a summary of the afternoon's findings was made and the way forward was illustrated. The President of the Section, thanked all the presenters for their contribution to the afternoon and reminded them that they would be receiving a commemorative certificate to mark the occasion.
A meeting of the Section of the Public Health Forum of the Manchester Medical Society was held on Thursday 25th March 2004 at 6.00 pm in Theatre 4 of the Medical School, University of Manchester. A the President, Dr Chris Harrison sent his apologies, professor Dick Heller stepped in and introduced Professor W E R Ollier, Professor of Immunogenetics, University of Manchester & Director of the Centre for Integrated Genomic Medical Research to the audience. Professor Ollier gave an interesting lecture entitles:
"Infrastructure requirements for
coupling genomic strategies He described in detail the automated laboratory management systems that have been put in place to run the bio bank. Bio Bank UK will be a longitudinal study of genes and health with the aim of translating genes into patterns of disease. In contrast to the current high tech approach, Professor Ollier showed an old film from the 1950s on a population study of pneumoconiosis in a mining town in South Wales. The pace of progress in just 50 years was astonishing. The Honorary Secretary thanked Professor Ollier for his very interesting talk and particularly for the glimpse of history, which demonstrated very starkly the rapid changes in population epidemiology. After the lecture members and guests had an opportunity to meet informally and network over a glass of wine or juice and lite-nibbles.
The fifth Chadwick Lecture was the final meeting for the 2003/2004 session of the Public Health Forum of the Manchester Medical Society. The lecture was held on Thursday 22nd April 2004 at 6.00 pm in the Manchester Dental Education Centre (MANDEC), University of Manchester. The President of the Section, Dr C J Harrison, was delighter to introduce the speaker as follows: Lord Michael Chan
of Oxton Lord Chan is a member of the BMS, and was Consultant and Senior Lecturer at Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine. Some of his other career accomplishments include Commissioner for the Commission for Racial Equality, a Paediatrician, and Director for the NHS Ethnic Health Unit. Lord Chan is also co-editor of the publication 'Disease of Children in the Tropics and Sub-Tropics'. Lord Chan's lecture covered three areas: the Governments record on reducing inequalities: the role and achievements of the PCTs and the important area of inequalities and ethnicity. Lord Chan skilfully married his work in the House of Lords with that as a non-executive member of his local PCT to illustrate what can be achieved to reduce inequalities. He emphasised the importance of collecting good local data on inequalities, involving local people and ensuring a multi-disciplinary approach. Felicity Green gave the vote of thanks to Lord Chan for his excellent lecture, which was closely followed by prolonged applause from the audience. After the meeting members and guests joined Lord Chan to a buffet held in his honour which brought the 2003/2004 session to a convivial close.
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MANCHESTER
MEDICAL SOCIETY
