With 11 years clinical experience within weight management and bariatric services, Ness now works as a senior specialist dietitian within the high-volume bariatric unit of Sunderland Royal Hospital.
She currently sits on the British Obesity and Metabolic Surgery Society (BOMSS) council as the IHP Dietetic lead and is a member of The Association for the Study of Obesity. Ness is also the training and education officer and bariatric liaison for the Obesity Specialist Group Committee of the British Dietetic Association, and is currently contributing to the Bariatric Surgery chapter of the Manual of Dietetic Practice (7th edition).
Working as a team lead in an integrated multi-disciplinary service, she understands the importance of professional representation and how different disciplines play a key role in optimising safety outcomes and progression within the service. Ness prides herself on communication skills in motivational interviewing and behaviour change, and has a passion for patient-centred care.
Dr Helen Parretti is Consultant Clinical Senior Lecturer in Primary Care at the University of East Anglia with a research interest in obesity and a practising GP. Helen has several national roles related to obesity and has been involved in the development of national clinical guidance in post-bariatric surgery care. She is the RCGP representative to two RCP committees (Advisory Group on Nutrition, Weight and Health, and Joint Steering Committee for Endocrinology and Diabetes Mellitus) and the Society for Endocrinology working group “Defining the Future of Endocrinology”.
Helen sits on the British Obesity and Metabolic Surgery Society council as an IHP representative and is a co-opted member of the professional steering group for Obesity Empowerment Network.
Dr Emily McBride is a clinical academic Health Psychologist and Behavioural Scientist passionate about obesity management and prevention. She splits her time between NHS practice as Principal Health Psychologist in Bariatric Surgery at Lewisham Hospital, and academia as a Clinical Lecturer at King’s College London. She has research streams underway in psychological aspects of bariatric surgery and obesity prevention and regularly publishes in peer-reviewed journals.
Prior to this, Emily was Senior Research Fellow at University College London (UCL) where she held an NIHR fellowship and has also worked in other NHS trusts. She has held policy roles such as Senior Behavioural Scientist for the UK Government Department of Health and Social Care, and Policy Lead for the British Psychological Society. She therefore has experience of advising on national obesity management and prevention projects at population level.
Emily holds a PhD in Behavioural Science which she completed between UCL and Yale University as part of a Yale-UCL scholarship, which won her three national awards. She also holds a Doctorate-level degree and MSc in Health Psychology, and BSc (Hons), all of which she completed in Scotland.