I’m a writer and editor specialising in health, science, family and social issues. My features and analysis have appeared in The Times on a regular basis since 1999, and I've edited health sections for both The Times and the Daily Telegraph. Throughout my career, I've worked with various professional, statutory and voluntary organisations on information for the public and professionals.

My journalism and work on patient information booklets has won me several awards. I’ve been Chair of the Guild of Health Writers. And now, with one book under my belt, I'm working on another. Have a look around my website to find out some more about what I've been up to.

This week

Nagging people to be healthy doesn't work

I get angry when I hear about yet more proposals to tell the public off for not leading healthy lives. It doesn't work. Over my years as a health journalist, I've learned two things about public health.
 
First, health education only works if it's highly tailored to particular population groups. Second, that most of us only change unhealthy habits if something happens in our heads. For an article on slimming, I talked to Professor Robert West from the Health Behaviour Research Unit about this. His words have really stuck with me:
 
"If you want long-term weight loss, something major and structural has to change in your life. That's either going to be gastric surgery, which for most of us is not an option, or something changing in your head. If that doesn't happen, you are inevitably going to give way to all those pressures to eat, or not exercise, that we're subject to every day. Something has to click in your head that says 'This is a new rule for the rest of my life'."