BDA News
7 September 2012
www.bda.uk.com - website
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The Food Hospital Returns:
Channel 4 Series
fronted by Top Dietitian
Channel 4’s innovative factual programme, The Food Hospital, is returning for a second series and British Dietetic Association (BDA) media spokesperson, Lucy Jones, is once again taking a leading role in the primetime show.
The Food Hospital is due to return to our screens from Wednesday 19th September at 8pm on Channel 4 for six weeks. Lucy Jones is joined once again by co-presenters GP Dr Giovanni Miletto and specialist obesity consultant surgeon, Shaw Somers.
Commissioned by the Specialist Factual arm of Channel 4, the series follows patients entering The Food Hospital and, uniquely, having their identified ailments and health conditions treated with food alone and then following the patients to see if their new diet had made any positive impact. For the first time, The Food Hospital will take to the road and go out and meet different groups of people to give them this innovative approach to health management.
There will be some serious issues covered on the show, alongside some more light hearted approach to busting numerous food myths.
Speaking about her role, Lucy Jones said:
“We’re thrilled with the response we got from series one. The ratings blew us away and confirmed what a hot topic food as medicine is for the public.
“There are big exciting changes for series two! Whilst we are still seeing people at our clinic and treating different conditions, you can expect this to be a smaller part of the show compared to series one. We are doing more experiments and group work, travelling all over the country to complete filming. So far, filming locations have included a primary school in Plumstead, a fruit and veg shop in Brixton and as far afield as a field in Worcester, and a house in Lincoln. Importantly, however, is the fact that we are still going to work on a science evidence base, which is so important and the impact of television is massive and I want to be part of something that is science, not science fiction.
“It’s been so nice that the whole team is back together again. I get on really well with Gio and Shaw. The boys both seem to have been really busy work wise since series one and if I’m not mistaken, they look like they’ve been working out .... ready for series two :)
“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. I hope people enjoy series two as much as the first series.”
Specialist Factual Commissioning Editor for Channel 4, Tanya Shaw, commissioned independent production company Betty, to make the 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.”
Helen Davidson, Honorary Chairman of the BDA, added:
“Lucy did an amazing job last year and the whole profession is so thrilled to see one of our own in such a high profile show flying the flag for dietitians.
“I can’t wait to see what the second series has to offer.”
The British Dietetic Association also sits on the show’s Ethics and Standards committee with BDA media spokesperson Sian Porter leading on this, in addition to BDA media spokesperson, Nicole Berberian, acting as the show’s off-screen dietitian.
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.
The Food Hospital airs weekly on Channel 4 at 8pm from Wednesday 19th September for six weeks.
See Channel 4 website for full details and to view episodes after broadcast:
www.Channel4.com/TheFoodHospital.
For exclusive interviews with Lucy Jones and other involved in The Food Hospital (including pictures) visit www.bda.uk.com/TheFoodHospital.
ENDSwww.bda.uk.com - website
www.twitter.com/#!/BrDieteticAssoc - twitter
www.facebook.com/BritishDieteticAssociation - facebook
| For more information / interview requests, please contact Steven Jenkins the BDA Press Office on: 0800 048 1714 |
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Notes to the Editor:
Synopsis of episode 1:
The first patient to be seen by the Food Hospital team is Jack from Lincoln, aged 4. Jack suffers from atopic eczema, a skin condition that affects 1 in 5 children in the UK which means his skin often becomes itchy, dry, red and cracked. Jack’s worried parents are at their wits end when they meet with GP Gio Miletto. Blood tests suggest Jack may have a milk allergy so dietician Lucy Jones pays the family a home visit to set them off on a milk-free diet. A few weeks later, body free of the potential allergen, Jack revisits the Hospital for a food challenge which will conclusively prove whether or not he has a milk allergy.
Second to be seen by the medical team is Beth from the Wirral, aged 29. Beth suffers from Rheumatoid Arthritis and has already had five joints replaced. Rheumatoid Arthritis is an auto immune disease that affects 400,000 people in the UK and causes painful swelling. When she sees Shaw Somers, Beth’s ESR (Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate) levels are 28, outside of the normal range. Hoping to reduce these ESR levels, which are the inflammation markers in the blood, Lucy prescribes a calorie controlled high omega 3 diet.
Another patient is Adam from Manchester, aged 22 who is terrified of fruit and vegetables. In fact, his diet is utterly devoid of anything fresh consisting of 6 things alone – chicken nuggets, chips, pizza, crisps, cheese on toast and chocolate. Blood tests reveal Adam is low in folic acid, iron and vitamin C. Lucy wants to encourage Adam to try and eat at least one food he’s terrified of and as it’s the texture that leaves him feeling so sick, she wants to turn his dreaded vegetables into something slightly more appealing – crisps!
Finally, Dr Pixie McKenna goes on a mission to identify the heroes of the food world. In the first episode, she wants to see if claims that beetroot can increase our performance in sports are true and meets up with Professor Andrew Jones from the University of Exeter who is running a pioneering trial on some Cyclists at the Portsmouth velodrome.
- Lucy Jones is a member of the BDA association and an official BDA media spokesperson.
- 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 7,000 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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