The Food Active 2026 Conference, “Healthy Weight in the GLP-1 Era: Balancing treatment, equity and population health,” will be held online on Thursday 12th November, 9:30am–1:00pm.
This year’s conference will explore how the evolving landscape of GLP-1 availability is reshaping obesity policy, services and the wider food system. The conference will examine how these medicines can be integrated into weight management services while maintaining a strong focus on prevention, reducing health inequalities and creating healthier food environments, taking into consideration how the out of home and retail food sectors are responding to GLP-1s. Discussions will also consider obesity as a chronic disease, addressing weight stigma and ensuring prevention of ill health at population level remains central to government policy.
The conference is due to bring together colleagues from local authority public health teams, NHS organisations, academia and the voluntary sector to explore how obesity policy and services are evolving.
Confirmed speakers:
- Professor Matthew Ashton, Director of Public Health Liverpool City Council & Lead Director of Public Health, Food Active (Chair)
- Professor John Wilding, Professor of Medicine, University of Liverpool
- Ewan Maule, Chief Pharmacist and Director of Medicines and Pharmacy, North East and North Cumbria Integrated Care Board
- Professor Louisa Ells, Professor of Obesity, Leeds Beckett University
- Hannah Brinsden, Head of Policy and Advocacy, Food Foundation
- Samantha Field, Senior Fellow in Prevention, Health Foundation
Stay up to date with all the latest updates on the conference by following us on LinkedIn and BlueSky @FoodActive #FoodActive2026
If you have any questions, please email info@heg.org.uk.
