PORTFOLIO: HEALTH
In this section: 50 Interview: Professor John Frank | 51 News digest | 52 The obesity epidemic |
Picture of health
Katie Mackintosh interviews Professor John Frank as he assesses the challenges of those charged with
improving Scotland’s health
P
rofessor John Frank describes him- pile of research successfully published in
self as an “inveterate optimist,” journals but it doesn’t speak to decision
which bodes well for the bubbly Canadi- makers.”
an because as head of the newly formed However, for those two worlds to
Scottish Collaboration for Public Health successfully come together, Frank says
Research and Policy – a joint venture by you have to create a neutral venue where
the Medical Research Council and the the best minds can conjoin and learn to
Scottish Government’s Chief Scientist speak each other’s language, which is
Office that aims to come up with fresh where he comes in. “My job, therefore,”
strategies for tackling Scotland’s poor he says, “is to be a host, a facilitator, to
health record – he will most likely have hold and convene fora.”
to draw from that well of optimism soon- As part of this, Frank explains that
er rather than later. the collaboration plans to host a series of
For the picture in Scotland is unde- planning workshops starting in the New
niably grim. We have the second high- Year. These, he says, will cover the five
est rate of obesity in the world after main cycles in a person’s life: early child-
the USA and our record on alcohol is hood; youth and early adulthood; work-
equally shaming. Each year over 40,000 ing years; midlife; and old age. Each
people in Scotland are hospitalised with working group will then be tasked with
an alcohol-related illness, while alcohol- refining a few “unproven but promising”
related deaths in Scotland have more programmes and policies for further
than doubled in the last 15 years. Most study.
troublingly, however, is the widening gulf “There is an opportunity for Scot-
in health inequalities between our most land to contribute here and try some
affluent and deprived communities that things that would be new and different,”
means a male child born in prosperous he says. “That is what our planning
Lenzie can expect to live 28 years longer workshop in January will be inviting the
than his contemporary, who happened participants to do. We will invite people
to be born in Glasgow’s East End. to bring ideas, even if they are a little out
However, far from being over- of the box, for new programmes and
whelmed or discouraged, Frank says But Scotland is already renowned for policies that might make a difference.”
these challenges make Scotland all the its thriving research community, so what But what does he make of current
more attractive as a base for research.
The
null
re are
makes this venture different? efforts to think outside the box? What,
“The need is there, that is an attrac-
other
“In Scotland, as with most western for example, does he think of the Scot-
tion for a public health person like me, a
societies in
countries,” Frank explains, “people who tish Government’s free school meals
public health physician and professor. I do research are mostly employed in aca- policy?
want to work where there is need.”
the world
demic environments where they can do “It is great to have a free school
He was also, he says, attracted by
fighting
their research only by getting grants. meal but I think most of us in public
Scots’ open mindedness to change. against The grants give them a great deal of health want to make sure that what is
“You also have to feel that people are
much worse
freedom, as is perfectly appropriate, to in it is good,” says Frank. “Now that in
sufficiently open minded and willing to
demons
pursue curiosity driven research and turn leads to some tough public policy
try new things and I think that is true of to look at any question they want. The decisions because you can’t serve really
Scotland. I think there is a culture, which result is published journal articles and healthy foods for a really small amount,
I’m very impressed by here, of being
rational about things, discussing it, argu- null
occasionally, books. per kid, per meal. So there are some
“But what is missing there is that budgetary challenges there.”
ing it out if necessary, but using powers there is no opportunity for people who For the initiative to be successful, he
of reasoning to decide what to do and are using the research to shape the way says the meals need to be “life changing”
then everybody putting their shoulder to it is framed and to question what is being and teach children to think about food in
the wheel, and I like that.” addressed. So sometimes we get a big a different way. However, he stresses that
50
| 17 November 2008 | Holyrood magazine | www.holyrood.com |
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