BDA News

3rd October 2011

The Food Hospital - a new Channel 4 Series fronted by Top Dietitian

Starting 1st November, British Dietetic Association (BDA) media spokesperson, Lucy Jones, is taking a leading role in a brand new primetime Channel 4 series.

The Food Hospital, is due to air on 1st November 2011 at 8pm in a mid-week prime time slot.

Following in the footsteps of Channel 4’s successful show, Embarrassing Bodies, patients will enter The Food Hospital and have a detailed consultation with a leading dietitian, Lucy Jones, a GP (Dr Giovanni Miletto) and, in some cases, a specialist obesity consultant surgeon (Shaw Somers).  However, The Food Hospital will endeavour to treat all ailments and conditions with food alone and patients will be followed to see if treatment with diet works for them.

There will be some serious issues covered on the show, alongside some more light hearted approach to busting numerous food myths.

The show will also have a big online presence and will seek to put science to the test nationwide.  As a fully integrated cross-platform project, viewers will be invited to take part in a scientific study into how changes in diet can improve, if not cure, illnesses and ailments.

Speaking about her new role, Lucy Jones said:

“There has been a massive amount of work gone into making this programme and I am very much looking forward to seeing it air very soon.

“For me to be involved meant there had to be real science behind what we were saying and, ultimately, asking members of the public to make, in some cases, significant changes in their lifestyle.

“Popping a pill into your mouth has become a lifestyle choice for many people in the UK, thinking they can eat and drink exactly what they like and in excessive amounts because there are some pills out there to offset this.  Sadly, this is just not the case and I firmly believe The Food Hospital will be key in taking on and exploding many food myths and misconceptions.”

Specialist Factual Commissioning Editor for Channel 4, Tanya Shaw, commissioned independent production company Betty, to make the 8 60-minute series, and said:

“This is an exciting emerging area of medical science which is exploring whether food can provide genuine remedies for ailments.  The experiments taking place at The Food Hospital, under the supervision of the medical team, will aim to reveal the untold health benefits and medicinal properties of certain foods, whilst busting myths about some of the widely-held misconceptions and old wives tales.”

The British Dietetic Association was also involved in the project by nominating BDA media spokesperson and consultant dietitian, Sian Porter, to sit on an off camera ethics and science committee and providing and fact checking web content.

Pictures of Lucy Jones are available on request.

See Channel 4 website for full details and to view episodes after broadcast:
www.channel4.com/programmes/the-food-hospital.

ENDS

Notes to the Editor:

• Lucy Jones is a member of the BDA association, a BDA media spokesperson and Chairman of the BDA London branch.
• Lucy is the specialist dietitian at the North London Obesity Surgery Service at Whittington Hospital in North London.  She is also a member of the Association for the study of Obesity, British Obesity and Metabolic Surgery Society and Association of Upper Gastrointestinal Surgeons.
• Visit the BDA website at www.bda.uk.com .
• The British Dietetic Association, founded in 1936, is the professional association for registered dietitians in Great Britain and Northern Ireland. It is the nation’s largest organisation of food and nutrition professionals with over 6,000 members.
• Registered dietitians are the only qualified health professionals that assess, diagnose and treat diet and nutrition problems at an individual and wider public health level. Uniquely, dietitians use the most up to date public health and scientific research on food, health and disease, which they translate into practical guidance to enable people to make appropriate lifestyle and food choices.
• Dietitians are the only nutrition professionals to be statutorily regulated, and governed by an ethical code, to ensure that they always work to the highest standard. Dietitians work in the NHS, private practice, industry, education, research, sport, media, public relations, publishing, Non Government Organisations and government. Their advice influences food and health policy across the spectrum from government, local communities and individuals.

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