Doctors debate changes to clocks

28 June 2011 Last updated at 23:01 GMT By Nick Triggle Health correspondent, BBC News, in Cardiff Changing the clocks could reduce deaths on the road, supporters argue Doctors are throwing their weight behind a bid to move the clocks in the UK forward by an hour in both the winter and summer.

Delegates at the British Medical Association conference in Cardiff will argue later that it will help improve health as well as save lives.

The move would bring the UK in line with Central European Time.

A bill is already progressing through Parliament calling for the issue to be looked at.

It says if an official analysis suggests there would be benefits, then the system could be piloted for three years.

Supporters have argued such a move would lead to an extra 235 hours of daylight after work each year and reduce road deaths by between 80 and 100.

Research has also suggested tourism would get a boost.

Previous attempts to change the system have faltered following opposition from Scotland where some places would not see daylight until 10am in the depths of the winter.

But Andrew Green, a GP from Hull, said the problem was confined to the north of Scotland and could be avoided by measures such as flexible starting times for schools for a few months.

He also pointed out that research suggested it was better to drive in the dark in the morning as people were more alert.

But he added: "In the end you have to go for what gives the greatest benefit for the greatest number. Changing the clocks would mean people are more likely to be active.

"It would encourage children to stop playing on the computer and go outside instead of risking getting run over in the dark."

Scottish opposition

Professor Vivienne Nathanson, the BMA's head of science and ethics, said: "I think it should certainly be looked at with a trial to see if it really would save lives."

She also said the UK could look at having different time zones if it did not work for some parts of the country - although this is something that Prime Minister David Cameron has said he would not want to see.

A range of other organisations have already given their backing to changing the system, including the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents, which has been campaigning for it for decades.

But the Scottish Government said it was still opposed to the move.

A spokeswoman said: "Changing the system would adversely affect Scotland, which is why we oppose it. The impact would be felt by rural communities and outdoor workers and businesses, and could potentially increase the danger of children travelling to school in the dark."

Clock changes have been tried in the past. During World War II clocks were moved forward by an hour to maximise productivity and ensure people got home safely before the blackout. Between 1968 and 1971 BST was kept throughout the year.

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Debate over weight loss schemes

By Adina Campbell
Newsbeat reporter Debbie Rugg explains how she went from a size 20 to a size 12

The government should continue to refer people onto weight loss programmes, a new report suggests.

Figures from a Slimming World study over five years followed nearly 35,000 people on a 12-week course.

More than two thirds completed the course and each lost around a stone during that period.

However, some health groups have criticised the government for using private weight loss organisations.

Over the last decade the government has formed partnerships with private firms to try to curb worrying obesity levels.

It's estimated the government spends more than ?4m a year tackling obesity.

The Department of Health says it will be looking into the way it tackles obesity over the next few months.

However, ministers insist slimming groups help people with motivation and are cost effective.

Dozens of NHS trusts across the UK recommend people join slimming clubs to help them achieve a healthy lifestyle.

'Quick fix'?

Someone with a weight problem can be referred onto groups such as Slimming World and in most cases the NHS will pay for membership to get them started.

Twelve weeks on a Slimming World programme costs the NHS around ?50 per person, half of what it would cost for weight loss medication such as diet pills.

However, some charities say they are only a short term solution.

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Most people re-gain the weight they lose within two years, and many gain more than they first lost.

Beat Chief Executive Susan Ringwood

Tam Fry from the National Obesity Forum (NOF) is concerned they are 'quick fixes' and not addressing the real problem.

He said: "The government has got to come up with a solution to stop people getting fat in the first place.

"It's relying too much on companies like Slimming World and Weight Watchers to do their job for them and it would be far better to put money into real prevention measures."

Beat, the UK's biggest Eating Disorder Charity, also supports the NOF's argument.

'Push I needed'

Chief Executive Susan Ringwood said: "Most people regain the weight they lose within two years, and many gain more than they first lost.

"Quick fixes that don't work just add to someone's sense of failure and can lead to the downward spiral of helplessness that can lead to much more serious mental health issues."

Twenty-two-year-old Debbie Rugg from Somerset has dropped from a size 20 to a size 12 since she was referred by her doctor to Slimming World last Summer.

The NHS spent nearly ?37m on anti-obesity drugs last year

She was diagnosed as clinically obese and had spent time in hospital after doctors feared her weight was having a deteriorating effect on her health.

She said: "At my heaviest, I was 15 stone and decided to do something about it after a breast cancer scare and lumps appearing on my body.

"I was given 12 weeks' worth of free vouchers and in the last ten months I've lost two and a half stone.

"Without being advised to join the programme and having my initial membership paid for, it wouldn't have given me the push I needed to get down to a healthy size."

Weight loss alternatives

However, the Slimming World study did show a third of people dropped out before completing their 12-week course, with critics suggesting more improvements are needed when it comes to long term weight loss plans.

Recent results from a weight loss scheme in Kent showed high drop-out rates and disappointing weight loss results overall.

Hundreds of people were given a cash reward, ranging between ?70 and ?425, depending on how much weight they lost during set target periods.

However two thirds of people on the 'Pounds for Pounds' programme didn't lose a clinically significant amount of weight and many dropped out before their course was over.

There are other weight loss treatments available on the NHS such as diet pills.

Last year the NHS spent nearly ?37m on anti-obesity drugs. Other treatments include working with dieticians and psychologists.

In the most extreme cases, some people may choose weight loss surgery, such as gastric band operations.

Latest figures show there are more than 4,000 weight loss surgery procedures, done on the NHS every year - each operation costs anything between ?5,000 and ?14,000.

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