Professor Paul Gately
Carnegie Professor of Exercise and Obesity and Co-Director of the Applied Centre for Obesity Research | Leeds Beckett University
Leeds, England, UNITED KINGDOM
His main research interest is in childhood obesity - and the treatment strategies for obesity across all age ranges.
Areas of Expertise (6)
Eating Disorders
Exercise
Treatment of Obesity
Childhood Obesity
Weight Loss
Diet
Biography
Professor Paul Gately is Carnegie Professor of Exercise and Obesity and Co-Director of the Applied Centre for Obesity Research at Leeds Beckett University. His main research interest is in childhood obesity - and the treatment strategies for obesity across all age ranges. His PhD evaluated an American residential weight loss camp as an intervention for the treatment of overweight and obese children. Paul has contributed to the International Obesity Task Force/World Health Organisation’s report on childhood obesity and has been a national spokesperson for the Change4Life Campaign, a UK Department of Health programme.
Paul also runs MoreLife, a subsidiary of the University, which delivers specialist, residential, community and online weight loss programmes. He has worked on many change programmes and with marketing and public education initiatives - including work with Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Disney and Danone. He was the Principal Investigator of Public Health England’s Whole System Approach to Obesity which is now a nationally recognised programme. He has delivered more than 500 keynote presentations and scientific publications and co-authored seven book chapters.
Media Mentions (5)
66% of adults in Maldon are considered overweight or obese
Clacton Gazette online
2020-11-14
Paul Gately, Professor of Exercise and Obesity at Leeds Beckett University and CEO of MoreLife said: “The Public Health England evidence is clear that people who are suffering from obesity or are overweight are at greater risk of serious illness or death from Covid-19."
Could SDIL’s sweet success expand beyond soft drink? ‘The lack of taxation for sugary milk drinks definitely needs more thought’
Food Navigator online
2020-05-22
The UK’s soft drink tax has probably been of greatest benefit to the Childhood Obesity Plan, says Association for the Study of Obesity Chair Dr Maria Bryant, and similar principles should ‘absolutely’ be applied to sugary milk drinks.
Fat chance of a healthy UK as millennials turn obese
Yorkshire Post online
2018-02-26
Paul Gately, professor of exercise and obesity at Leeds Beckett University, says health experts have been warning about this issue for decades. “Obesity has been an issue across all age groups for 20 or 30 years. We’ve known this problem has been coming but we just haven’t really done anything about it.”
Obvious warning signs of child obesity
Irish Examiner online
2017-10-12
Professor Paul Gately, professor of exercise and obesity at Leeds Beckett University, said the BMI calculator is the best indicator of obesity, saying the likelihood of an inaccurate result in children is very low.
Sugar ‘obsession’ could skew obesity strategy
Food Manufacture online
2016-01-28
Britain’s “complete obsession” with sugar could skew the government’s childhood obesity strategy due next month, warns a leading obesity expert, who was dismissive of a sugar tax.
Multimedia Appearances
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Accomplishments (1)
NHS Health and Social Care Awards
2009 Excellence in Commissioning for partnership with NHS Rotherham
Education (3)
Leeds Metropolitan University: Ph.D., Weight Loss in Obese Children 2001
University of Sheffield: M.Med.Sci., Human Nutrition 2000
Leeds Metropolitan University: B.A., Human Movement Studies 1995
Affiliations (3)
- NIHR Review Board
- Centre for Social Justice Advisor
- Trustee of the Charity – Obesity UK
Links (2)
Articles (5)
Whole systems approaches to obesity and other complex public health challenges: a systematic review
European Journal of Public Health2019 Increasing awareness of the complexity of public health problems, including obesity, has led to growing interest in whole systems approaches (WSAs). We carried out a systematic review of WSAs targeting obesity and other complex public health and societal issues.
Weight stigma and discrimination: a call to the media
Diabetes and Endocrinology2018 During 2017, a substantial number of media articles were published in the UK and elsewhere that stigmatise and discriminate against people with overweight and obesity. Such articles can be read by millions of people, in print and online.
Why consistent completion criterion are required in childhood weight management programmes
Public Health2017 Current research in the field of childhood weight management (WM) effectiveness is hampered by inconsistent terminology and criterion for WM programme completion, alongside other engagement-related concepts (e.g. adherence, dropout and attrition). Evidence reviews are not able to determine conclusive intervention effectiveness because of this issue.
Cardiac autonomic regulation as a predictor for childhood obesity intervention success
International Journal of Obesity2017 Childhood obesity is a major public health concern; behavioural interventions induce weight reduction in some, but success is variable. Heart rate variability (HRV) has been associated with impulse control and extent of dieting success.
Design programmes to maximise participant engagement: a predictive study of programme and participant characteristics associated with engagement in paediatric weight management
International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity2016 Approximately 50 % of paediatric weight management (WM) programme attendees do not complete their respective programmes. High attrition rates compromise both programme effectiveness and cost-efficiency.
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