Issue 132 face to face

F2F

FACE TO FACE Ursula meets: Ursula Arens Writer; Nutrition & Dietetics Ursula has a degree in dietetics, and currently works as a freelance nutrition writer. She has been a columnist on nutrition for more than 30 years.

If you would like to suggest a F2F date (someone who is a ‘mover and shaker’ in UK nutrition) for Ursula, please contact: info@ network healthgroup. co.uk 8

Ursula meets amazing people who influence nutrition policies and practices in the UK. JOAN GANDY Editor Dietetic Researcher

We arranged to meet at the British Film Institute at London's South Bank.

The tearoom was full of arty types: interesting hair tints, retro spectacles, funky tweeds. All iBalls glued to iPhones and iFingers tap-tap-tapping on iPads. Joan is interesting, but not in an arty way: rather a smarty way. And it was a great privilege to share coffee and conversation with her.

For various reasons, including too much partying, her A-level results were very disappointing and the conditional offer of studying Dietetics disappeared.

She entered the life of work. Firstly as a laboratory technician, when she obtained an Ordinary National Certificate.

She then moved away from science completely and worked in the housing department of a local authority.

Joan attributes her sudden inspiration to have a second shot at going to University to Cosmopolitan magazine.

“There was a feature on education. It said that you could go to University at any age - this was a revelation, and I immediately started my new life-plan,” said Joan. She had read the magazine article in March and that September, after various letters and school references had been supplied, she started the Dietetics course at Surrey University.

Student-Joan really enjoyed her placements. “It was at this time that I fell in love with research,” she said. She had an interest in nutrition in developing countries and was fortunate to do her placement at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine

www.NHDmag.com March 2018 - Issue 132

(LSHTM). During this time, she met many ‘nutrition greats’ (including Jeya Henry, John Waterlow, John Rivers and Prakesh Shetty). She also enjoyed the research encounters at her clinical placement at Bart’s Hospital. Did she not enjoy the helping-people part of student dietetics, I wondered? “Mostly yes,” said Joan. Despite the strong memory for her of the less pleasant aspect of cleaning floors and a patient’s body after an episode of steatorrhea.

Joan graduated in 1981. But dietetic jobs were in short supply and various applications got a ‘no-thanks’ response.

Her first post was as a research officer at the Royal Postgraduate Medical School, researching gut hormone in non-insulin dependent diabetes (mature onset diabetes - now called Type 2 diabetes).

She also became involved in laboratory aspects of research on somatotropin.

A job advertisement for a research assistant to obesity researcher John Garrow was just what Joan had been waiting for. “I didn’t think I stood a chance of getting the job, so made the most of the encounter by asking lots of questions and challenging him. I later learnt that that was why I’d got the job,” said Joan. The three-bedded research unit in Harrow was funded by the Medical Research Council and Joan was involved in many studies measuring body composition and energy expenditure in obesity, using indirect and later, direct calorimetry.

“Not many people now know that John Garrow did the laboratory validation of

‘loveresearch’

“Dietitians must use evidence-base, but just as importantly, must contribute to it.”

the BMI cut-offs.” Joan clearly has huge respect for Prof Garrow, and is very keen to share that he was a great champion for the dietetic profession: he attended and spoke at many dietetic meetings and always encouraged dietitians to do research.

In 1989, Joan completed her PhD on weight loss in obese women. She then did some further research in Harrow in the department of anaesthetics, looking at the effects of anaesthesia and surgery on protein and energy metabolism.

“We looked for different ways to reduce this stress, including feeding patients earlier than was usual practice. Unsurprisingly, patients recovered more quickly,” said Joan.

In 1994, Joan ventured back into clinical dietetic work. “I worked a lot with compulsive eaters and with anorexics and bulimics. I really enjoyed working with disordered eaters, but I was not always confident I could support them with behavioural aspects of their problems,” confessed Joan.

In later years of employment, Joan has worked as a researcher and lecturer at various universities, including Oxford Brookes and Westminster. Most recently, she was a member of the Need for Nutrition Education Project (NNedPro) team, a collaboration between dietitians and doctors in medical education.

In parallel with her research and lecturing career, Joan has been a very active member of the BDA. She chaired the BDA’s Research Interest Group and was the first Research Officer. This involved planning the research element of meetings and conferences and being the supportive mentor to any dietitians thinking about, or actively involved in, research. “You can do it!” was always on Joan’s lips. Last year, she was also a member of the scientific programmes committee for the European Federation of the

Associations of Dietitians (EFAD)…which leads to the editor-hat she currently wears.

From October 2006 to February 2011, Joan was editor of The Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics, which at the time was a printed bimonthly and sent to every member of the BDA. “I wanted dietitians to feel that they had more ownership of their journal, so I encouraged them to submit their work and published more of the original communications from BDA conferences.

We rebranded the cover in the BDA colours too.

The impact factor increased, along with article submissions, which helped put it onto a firmer basis,” said Joan. There was no salary and hours were long on top of her full-time job. But, for Joan, it was the best way she could think of to actively support dietetic research.

Her next and current editor role is for The Manual of Dietetic Practice (MDP). She was on the interview panel, but ‘somehow’ the editorial baton for the fifth edition was handed to her. The biggestyet tome was just a sliver short of 1,000 pages and over 5,000 copies have been sold. “Everyone has been very supportive, including all the BDA specialist groups. More than 200 people contributed including students and professors!” said Joan. She did say “never-again” when MDP was published in 2014, but obviously not loud, or often, enough and she is currently doing final checks to the sixth edition, which is due before the end of 2018. (BDA: please fete this with glamour and glitter - it deserves trumpet blasts and flying champagne corks).

I was keen to invite Joan to another beverage (knowing her current professional interest is hydration at population level). But she had to zoom off: she repeated the phrase ‘love-research’ and finished with the thought that research was for the many, not the few. “Dietitians must use evidencebase, but just as importantly, must contribute to it.” www.NHDmag.com March 2018 - Issue 132

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NHD and British Lion eggs Competition Write an article for the chance to win £250 in shopping vouchers!

Network Health Digest (NHD) and British Lion eggs, would like your original research reviews on the role of eggs in the diet. We are looking for fully referenced articles discussing the role and implications of eggs as a nutrient provider to different population groups and/or life stages. Suggested topics include the role of eggs in the context of: sport and fitness, pregnancy and early life, satiety and healthy ageing.

The best two articles will be published in NHD later this year and the two winning authors will each win shopping vouchers worth £250.

Deadline for submission: Friday 6 April 2018.

All entrants will be judged by NHD Editor and Registered Dietitian Emma Coates, along with Dietitian and Health Writer, Dr Carrie Ruxton.

NETWORK HEALTH DIGEST

Please email info@networkhealthgroup.co.uk for a ‘Contributor template’ and further guidance on submissions.