Iceland is hosting a weight conference which will be attended by experts in the field including dieticians. One researcher from Coventry University has been awarded a scholarship by Heart UK, a national cholesterol charity, in order to lend her specific expertise to the conference.
Lucy Aphramor specialises in research on an approach she calls Health at Every Size. The approach strives to find a healthy way for people to deal with eating, weight and their health.
Lucy said: “Health at Every Size is still little known in the UK, so I was excited when I was invited to the Iceland event.
“Instead of focusing on achieving a certain weight as the starting goal, the Health at Every Size approach emphasizes that a healthy weight is the weight you stabilise at when you are eating well and keeping active.
“There are huge advantages to this approach to nutrition and it benefits heart health as it has been shown to help people stick with dietary improvements long term. Importantly, it also protects the heart by preventing weight cycling, which is linked to cholesterol abnormalities.”
Heart UK gives out a travel scholarship on an annual basis to support the career development of a healthcare professional. This year the scholarship will be used to help Lucy attend the Icelandic event.
Lucy said: “I’m delighted to have been chosen for this award.”