Public Health

Thursday 28 January 2027

Conferences & Symposia

Thu 28 Jan 2027

09:25 - 17:00

Online

Activity code: TBC - applying for 6 credits

Opening soon

View all events

Overview

This symposium will bring together leading experts, lived experience and practitioners to review the complex drivers of population weight and obesity, taking a whole-systems perspective. Spanning global policy, commercial influences, health inequalities, and clinical practice, the programme examines how environments, systems, and individual factors intersect to shape health outcomes. With keynote contributions from internationally recognised leaders and a strong focus on practical implementation—including national strategies like Scotland’s Good Food Nation to lived experience and psychological perspectives—this event offers a comprehensive, evidence-informed view of one of the most pressing current public health challenges.

Join us to

Hear from world-leading voices in public health
Gain insights from high-profile speakers, offering authoritative perspectives on obesity, policy, and global health.
Understand the full system driving population health
The programme moves beyond individual behaviour to examine commercial determinants, social inequalities, food environments, and policy frameworks, helping you understand the bigger picture behind weight trends.
Translation of evidence into real-world practice
Sessions cover practical approaches—from mitigating inequalities and supporting individuals to implementing national strategies and evaluating new treatments—providing actionable insights for professionals across sectors.

Learning Outcomes

Understand the key system-level factors influencing population weight, including commercial determinants, policy context, and global development goals.
Awareness of approaches to reducing health inequalities and supporting individuals living with overweight and obesity, including psychological, behavioural, and community-based strategies.
Potential evidence-based strategies for prevention and treatment pathways, from public health interventions to clinical management and emerging therapies, including communication, psychological considerations, and multidisciplinary care

Who is this for?

The symposium will be of interest to all health professionals, and students working in general medicine, public health and general practice, as well as those with a particular interest in obesity.

Organising Committee

Professor Sarah Wild (Organising Committee Chair)

Professor Tracy Daszkiewicz

Mr Thomas Donaldson

Dr Ashley Goodfellow

Dr Ellen McBride

Dr Joy Tomlinson

Dr Lorna Willocks

poster

Download

Programme

09:00	Livestream opens
09:25	Welcome, Professor Mark Strachan, President, Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh

Thursday 28 January 2027

Session 1 - Whole system factors affecting population weight

Chair: Professor Sarah Wild, Professor of Epidemiology, Honorary Consultant in Public Health, University of Edinburgh and NHS Lothian

09:30	Commercial determinant of population weight distribution * time trends in weight distribution * what are the commercial determinants of weight and how have they changed over time
10:05	Obesity and the sustainable development goals * background to sustainable development goals (SDGs) * how do changing weight patterns affect the SDGs
10:40	Mitigating health inequalities related to unhealthy weight * evidence for approaches to mitigation of health inequalities * UK policy and practice to address health inequalities related to unhealthy weight
11:15	Break

Session 2 - Systems thinking in action

Co-Chairs: Professor Tracy Daszkiewicz, President, Faculty of Health, London & Dr Joy Tomlinson, Director of Public Health, NHS Fife

11:40	Becoming a Good Food Nation Ms Jayne Jones, Chief Executive, Scottish Food Commission *
11:50	KEYNOTE LECTURE Chair: Professor Mark Strachan, President, Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh Food Environment Professor Lindsay Jaacks, Professor of Global Health and Nutrition, University of Edinburgh
13:00	Break/Lunch

Session 3 - Simulation training & interesting clinical cases

Co-Chairs: Dr Ellen McBride, Public Health Resident doctor, NHS Lothian & Mr Tom Donaldson, Public Health Resident Doctor, NHS Fife

13:40	Lived experience Ms Ellys Feather, Obesity Action Scotland * personal experience recommendations for peers* * recommendations for professionals
14:15	Beyond Weight: the role of psychology and mental health in prevention and wellbeing Dr Ross Shearer, Consultant Clinical Psychologist, NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde * background potential for digital interventions * primary prevention* * secondary prevention
14:50	How to talk about weight: improving communication between healthcare professionals and people living with obesity Dr Charlotte Albury, Medical Anthropologist, University of Oxford * choice of language * scope for brief interventions local example of weight stigma training*
15:25	Break

Session 4 - Individual and population approaches to obesity

Chair: Dr Ashley Goodfellow, Consultant & Deputy Director of Public Health, NHS Lothian

15:45	KEYNOTE LECTURE Chair: Professor Mark Strachan, President, Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh Societal choices for primary and secondary prevention of obesity * UK/France comparison * opportunities for change
16:30	Introducing and evaluating new obesity medications, evaluating the weight management pathway from primary prevention to bariatric surgery * Scottish developments * planned evaluations
17:00	Close

Please note that on occassion event programmes may be subjected to change due to unforseen circumstances.

Fees

Not a Member of RCPE? By joining the College, you can save up to 100% on event fees for our symposia, courses and Evening Medical Update programme. Find out more about joining the College and our membership benefits via our membership webpages.

	Fee £
Standard Fee	£275
RCPE Fellow, Collegiate & Associate Member	£175
Allied Health Professional	£175
RCPE retired Fellow and RCPE Foundation Member	£80
RCPE Fellow in low or lower-middle income country	£0
RCPE Student Member	£0

Long term / other leave: Fellows and Members, please contact the Symposium Co-ordinator as some discretion may be available.

Trainees: Scotland Deanery medical specialty trainees can attend any number of eligible symposia for a one-off payment from their study leave budget (block grant scheme).

Fellows Vouchers: If you'd like to use your Fellows Voucher to attend this Symposium please contact bookings@rcpe.ac.uk.

Invoices

If you wish your employer/organisation to be invoiced for this event, please contact the event coordinator. Payment via invoice is not available whilst booking online.

Free places

Unpaid post: If RCPE Member, please provide confirmation of status to the event coordinator in order to access this event for free

Refugee doctors: Free places are available to refugee doctors who are Associate Members of the College, please contact the event coordinator for more information. Associate Membership for refugee doctors is available free of charge. Please visit our membership pages for more information on joining the College as a refugee doctor.

Cancellation policy

If you have to cancel your place within 4 days of this event, we regret that we are unable to provide a refund.

The event will be available to view on-demand for 28 days after the live event, therefore, there is still an opportunity to view the talks if you are not able to attend on the day.

Booking Terms & Conditions: Please read the College’s full event booking Ts&Cs regarding event changes, CPD, and data protection in the event policies section on our Event FAQ pages.

Further information

Certificates

All relevant events are approved for Continuing Professional Development (CPD). To receive a CPD certificate delegates must have completed the online feedback survey. The survey will close 28 days after the original broadcast of the event on 25 February 2027, with certificates being issued shortly after this.

Certificates cannot be issued after the survey has closed.

Catch-up

Registered delegates can view this event on catch-up for up to 28 days following the live event until, i.e. until 25 February 2027. Please note that in line with Federation rules, the CPD period is 28 days from the live event. To obtain a CPD certificate you must have completed the online feedback survey by 25 February 2027.

If you are unable to attend this event live but would like to view this event for 28 days post-event and qualify for a CPD certificate (if feedback is completed), please register before the live event is due to take place in order to be given access. It is not possible to register for catch-up viewing after the live event has taken place.