The real ‘cost’ of sugar

The ‘cost’ of sugar
16 March 2017
Auckland

The ‘cost’ of sugar forum is now fully subscribed. 

You are invited to join the waiting list for our free public forum in Auckland examining the ‘cost’ of sugar.

Healthier Lives National Science Challenge is collaborating with Edgar Diabetes and Obesity Research and A Better Start National Science Challenge to put a spotlight on robust evidence from research that can inform this important public debate.

Broadcaster Kim Hill will tease out the issues with an expert panel and engage the audience in an accessible way.  Join us to find out what we really know about this complex and controversial topic.  It promises to be a lively evening!

Cost of sugar forum details

• The ‘cost’ of sugar forum is now fully subscribed.
• Date: Thursday, 16 March, 2017
• Time: 7pm-9pm
• Venue: Clinical Education Centre, Auckland City Hospital
• Cost: Free

You may also wish to register for our Diabesity symposium the following day:

Diabesity symposium, $50 fee

Meet our sugar forum presenters

Kim Hill, Broadcaster

Kim Hill is unquestionably one of New Zealand’s finest current affairs interviewers. In 2012 she won the International Radio Personality of the Year and judges described her as: “an experienced and warm broadcaster exercising full control of her content whilst coaxing her guests to reveal more of themselves; really enjoyable live and sparky content that demonstrates what is great about radio and illustrates how important lightness of touch is in speech content.”

She has interviewed thousands of people (the famous and the infamous) and enjoys expansive interviews—she is looking forward to a highly engaging evening!

Professor Jim Mann, Director, Healthier Lives

Jim is a world leader in human nutrition, diabetes and obesity. For over 20 years he has advised the World Health Organisation about the role of nutrition in diseases such as diabetes and heart disease. The author of over 300 academic articles, he has published recent research on the role of sugar on our health.

Jim has worked as a consultant physician (specialising in Endocrinology) in Dunedin Hospital for the past 25 years.

Jim will provide a brief summary on the health consequences of sugar, bringing in the research evidence and WHO recommendations.

Professor Jacqueline Rowarth, Environmental Protection Authority

Jacqueline is Chief Scientist for the Environmental Protection Authority, a role she embraced last year, after 35 years in teaching and research, most recently at the University of Waikato.

“My new role is a considerable change from teaching but, as my students know, I have a focus on facts, evidence and data, analysis and synthesis.”

She has a degree in agricultural science with honours in environmental agriculture, a PhD in Soil Science (nutrient cycling) and research in carbon, nitrogen, food and economics.

Professor Rowarth was made Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to agricultural science in 2008.

Jacqueline will discuss the social and economic consequences of reducing global sugar intake on sugar producing countries.

Professor Tony Blakely, Principal Investigator, Healthier Lives

Tony is an epidemiologist and directs the HRC-funded Burden of Disease Epidemiology, Equity and Cost Effectiveness Programme (BODE3). This programme builds infrastructure (e.g. linked routine datasets) and capacity (e.g. epidemiological and economic decision modelling) to rapidly assess the health impact and cost effectiveness of a range of preventative and cancer control interventions—and examine their equity impacts. In 2016–2021 BODE3 is modelling a range of preventive interventions, including dietary and physical activity interventions.

Tony will speak on the economic consequences of health issues in countries with a high sugar intake (such as New Zealand), including a discussion on taxation.