by Carolyn Pallister, PR Officer BDA Obesity Specialist Group
As a committee, the BDA Obesity Specialist Group are delighted to be launching and supporting a new stream at this year’s BDA Research Symposium! The new stream is entitled Obesity and weight management and we’re excited to receive submissions from the dietitians and students on this important topic.
Obesity, the latest fad diets and debates about what approach works best are in the press or passionately discussed on social media constantly. We are bombarded with the latest quick fixes, often sold by stigmatising people with obesity, on a daily basis. It is essential that dietitians promote evidence-based practice and are known as a sound, trusted and stigma-free voice on nutrition.
Conducting research and disseminating it is a vital way that we can achieve this.
The Symposium
The event, being held on 4 December in Birmingham, attracts dietitians and students from all over the profession.
The Obesity Specialist Group are offering 15 bursaries to support submissions into the Obesity and weight management stream which covers the registration fee for the event. We hope this will encourage dietitians working in this area to come along and showcase their work.
We need, as a profession, to be routinely collecting and evaluating data, researching what works and sharing that practice with each other. The BDA Research Symposium is a great opportunity to do just that.
What can you submit?
All BDA members are invited to present or attend the research symposium. It’s a great opportunity to share research with the wider profession.
As dietitians, research provides the basis for our practice, education and policy; and we encourage all of you to consider the research you’re already doing and share it with us.
We want to hear from as wide a range of you as possible. If you’re:
- taking your first steps in research (having recently completed your final year dissertation as a student, completed research from a Masters Dissertation, MRes or other higher degree)
- involved in an active research programme/project
- undertaking an audit or evaluation of practice
then we’d love to hear from you - let’s make this stream about sharing findings and knowledge, and getting more obesity/weight management dietitians sharing their work!
As a profession we need to keep ahead of the curve and demonstrate, not only that our practice is evidence-based, but also that we are collecting evidence along the way. Whether that’s outcomes from a weight management service being delivered by dietitians, an audit of practice or showcasing where dietitians can play a valuable role in research projects testing new methods for weight loss.
The Symposium provides a forum for the presentation of research findings and methods in the field of nutrition and dietetics, and fosters collaboration between researchers within the dietetic profession.
It’s the perfect opportunity to identify and share effective interventions and practice within the available topic streams, increase the quantity and quality of dietetic research, and promote dietitians as leaders in the field of nutrition and dietetic research.
Worried you don’t have any research to share this year? Come along and hear from your peers and share in their learnings.
When and where to submit
The deadline for submission is Monday 22 July. Find out more about how to submit your research and how to access the bursaries available here.
We’ll also be inviting the winner from the Obesity stream to present at our annual study day in February 2020 – another great reason to get involved!
Let's lead as a profession, showcase that dietitians work in evidence-based practice and get better at sharing our findings. We look forward to your submissions!