Population diet and physical activity

Developing interventions to change diet and physical activity habits.

Theme Diet and physical activity

This workstream uses interventions to change diet and physical activity habits. We work with groups identified as needing new strategies to improve their health, such as children and adolescents or girls of South Asian heritage.

Our work involves developing interventions to increase motivation for physical activity. We use technology to help us understand more about what people eat and how much exercise they do. Wearable devices give us feedback about people’s eating habits and their physical activity. For example, these devices let us test whether sending a prompt encouraging a person not to eat two hours after exercising changes their behaviour. We are also investigating whether providing healthier food options to consumers can influence a change in their diet.

Our team works across greater Bristol and Bradford including local authorities, community groups as well as faith and secular community groups for South Asian girls in the Bradford area in their research. This is to make sure they are reaching the populations we want to target.

View all research projects

Consumer laboratory

Obesity can lead to a range of diseases including stroke, heart disease and cancer. To…

Theme Diet and physical activity

Workstream Population diet and physical activity

Developing a platform trial for obesity

Platform trials are different to traditional clinical trials. Instead of testing a specific drug or…

Theme Diet and physical activity

Workstream Clinical diet and physical activity

Developing physical activity leader programmes for girls from underserved groups

Inequalities in physical activity mean that not everyone in the UK is able to participate…

Theme Diet and physical activity

Understanding how to improve outcomes for South Asian men with prostate cancer

In most cases prostate cancer develops slowly and tends not to progress. Unfortunately, some people…

Theme Diet and physical activity

Workstream Clinical diet and physical activity

Waist-to-height ratio as a tool for predicting metabolic risk

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) recommends that people…

Theme Diet and physical activity

Workstream Population diet and physical activity

Carbohydrate counting and risk of disordered eating in young people with type 1 diabetes

Young people living with type 1 diabetes have a higher risk of developing disordered eating…

Theme Diet and physical activity

Workstream Clinical diet and physical activity

Play in urban spaces for health (PUSH)

Playing outdoors is a good way for children to get physically active. It helps their…

Theme Diet and physical activity

Workstream Population diet and physical activity

Is hydrogel safe and effective for weight loss?

Surgery is the most effective but also the most expensive way for maintaining long-term weight-loss…

Theme Diet and physical activity

Workstream Clinical diet and physical activity

Using a vending machine to evaluate how people respond to new foods

Scientists don’t yet fully understand how people learn to like new foods and flavours. Predicting…

Theme Diet and physical activity

Workstream Population diet and physical activity

Exploring what helps families reduce the amount of meat in their diet

Eating a diet rich in plant-based foods and reducing the amount of meat we eat…

Theme Diet and physical activity

Workstream Population diet and physical activity

Improving access to school-based physical activity for young people with type 1 diabetes

Research shows that physical activity improves blood sugar control, insulin sensitivity and heart health as…

Theme Diet and physical activity

Workstream Clinical diet and physical activity

Exploring drug targets to treat and prevent cancer

It’s possible that some medications used for lowering blood sugar, preventing inflammation or supporting weight…

Theme Diet and physical activity

Workstream Clinical diet and physical activity

Rebuilding strength after weight-loss surgery

Weight-loss surgery — also called bariatric surgery — involves making changes to a person’s digestive…

Theme Diet and physical activity

Workstream Clinical diet and physical activity

Eating after exercise

The aim of this project is to explore how we can help people reduce their…

Theme Diet and physical activity

Workstream Population diet and physical activity

Improving access to green spaces for adolescent girls in Bradford

Adolescent girls are less likely to be physically active than boys. South Asian children are…

Theme Diet and physical activity

Workstream Population diet and physical activity

Would parents attending a weight management programme accept support for their children?

We know that a child is at increased risk of being affected by overweight or…

Theme Diet and physical activity

Workstream Clinical diet and physical activity

Does time-restricted eating in children improve metabolic health?

This project will explore whether time-restricted eating can improve metabolic health in children. Time-restricted eating…

Theme Diet and physical activity

Workstream Population diet and physical activity

Co-designing a digital solution to help people manage their diabetes

According to Diabetes UK, 3.6 million people in the UK are diagnosed with type 2…

Theme Diet and physical activity

Workstream Clinical diet and physical activity

Developing a non-invasive continuous glucose monitor

Continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) means using a device to estimate your blood glucose, also called…

Theme Diet and physical activity

Workstream Clinical diet and physical activity

Tackling inequalities in childhood obesity with the help of Islamic religious settings

Childhood obesity is highest in children from Asian and Black ethnic groups in the UK.

Theme Diet and physical activity

Workstream Population diet and physical activity

PASSPORT: Creating a school-specific physical activity portfolio

Physical activity is important for children’s physical and mental health. The UK government recommend that…

Theme Diet and physical activity

Workstream Population diet and physical activity

Improving weight loss in young people living with obesity

Overweight and obesity affects one in three children in England. It is linked to other…

Theme Diet and physical activity

Workstream Clinical diet and physical activity

Exploring why people eat more after exercising

This project builds on a scoping review we recently completed on eating…

Theme Diet and physical activity

Workstream Population diet and physical activity

Do school PE kit policies impact girls’ body image?

The physical activity levels and self-esteem of girls decline with age. This is because adolescent…

Themes Diet and physical activity Mental health

Workstreams Population diet and physical activity Psychological interventions

Adjusting menu choices to improve nutrition and reduce environmental impact

A significant proportion of the food we eat in the UK is consumed outside the…

Theme Diet and physical activity

Workstream Population diet and physical activity

Analysing the impact of physical activity on markers of inflammation

This project aims to assess markers of inflammation present in blood before and after a…

Theme Diet and physical activity

Workstream Clinical diet and physical activity

Long-term effects of fasting on healthy weight maintenance

This project will explore the effects of intermittent fasting on appetite and eating behaviour. Intermittent…

Theme Diet and physical activity

Workstream Clinical diet and physical activity

Developing a physical activity intervention

The aim of this project is to involve South-Asian men diagnosed with prostate cancer in…

Theme Diet and physical activity

Workstream Clinical diet and physical activity

Diversity in diabetes

Data from health services has shown that children and young people with diabetes from families…

Theme Diet and physical activity

Workstream Clinical diet and physical activity

Providing accurate weight and height information for children during remote consultations

A remote consultation is an online medical consultation which takes place over the internet. Sixty-five…

Theme Diet and physical activity

Workstream Clinical diet and physical activity

Pre-EMpt - prostate cancer, exercise and metformin trial

The Prostate cancer – Exercise and Metformin Trial (Pre-EMpT) was a trial involving men diagnosed…

Theme Diet and physical activity

Workstream Clinical diet and physical activity

The role of the Mediterranean diet in breast cancer survivorship

This project aims to explore the relationship between following the Mediterranean diet and breast…

Theme Diet and physical activity

Workstream Clinical diet and physical activity