Services to business
Nutrition, health and wellbeing
Being healthy is a complex concept. It is not just the absence of disease but a state of wellness which itself results from economic, social and environmental factors that affect what we choose to eat. Many public, not-for-profit and commercial organisations provide, inform and shape these choices. Their influences on food and nutrition affect the wellbeing and lifestyle of modern consumers.
Our expertise can directly aid the food and health sectors to capitalise on the nutrition, health and wellbeing agenda. Our expertise includes
- registered nutritionists and public health nutritionists
- public health specialists
- behavioural psychologists
- exercise scientists
We know that achieving health and wellbeing is not simply a food issue. It requires inter-disciplinary collaboration. We are well placed to offer advice and services to the food and health sectors to help foster a wider, more innovative approach to tackling the health of the nation. Food and nutrition are central to Government public health policy, whose many initiatives aim to improve people's patterns of food consumption.
The Department of Health's initiatives tackle both the 'demand' for and 'supply' of healthy food, and it is in relation to supply that we offer activities to support the work of SMEs and large companies in the food and health sectors.
Examples of our research include
- design and testing of niche products such as appetite suppressing formulations
- behavioural change strategies relevant to weight management and other health behaviours
- exploration of innovative food labelling, such as food labels on calorie expenditure and exercise
- effects of food consumption on personal vitality and performance
- content of food vending machines in schools and the workplace, linked to consumer choice
- knowledge training around wellbeing
- social marketing relevant to the health agenda
