HENRY Featured in Jewish Telegraph for Role in Reducing Childhood Obesity
UPDATED 4th July 2025.
In August 2019, The Jewish Telegraph interviewed Professor Mary Rudolf, one of HENRY’s founders, about two significant developments: Leeds’ success in reducing childhood obesity and the roll-out of HENRY-based services in Israel. The conversation followed new findings published in Pediatric Obesity, which showed Leeds bucking the national upward trend and highlighted the international impact of HENRY's family-focused programmes
From Leeds to Israel: A Global Impact
During the interview, Professor Rudolf described how Leeds became the first UK city to see a sustained drop in obesity rates among five-year-olds and how this evidence-based success is now inspiring HENRY’s expansion into Israel. The programme is being adapted to support families with babies and young children across cultural settings, building on proven early years methods.
“The Jewish Telegraph” Interview Highlights
- Leeds results: Leeds lowered its 5-year-old obesity rate, bucking the national trend
- International rollout: HENRY is being implemented in Israel, with adaptations to suit local cultural needs
- Expert insight: Professor Rudolf discussed the importance of early family-based support in shaping healthier futures
Why This Matters: Part of a Proven Approach
Leeds’ results were widely reported, with coverage beyond The Jewish Telegraph. HENRY's role in this success story was echoed in national press and academic circles. These include The Times of Israel, which profiled Professor Rudolf’s work, and local Leeds coverage emphasising joined-up public health programmes .
Further Context and Reading
Here are some key resources offering more insight into HENRY’s role in reducing childhood obesity in Leeds and beyond:
- University of Oxford: Leeds becomes first UK city to lower its childhood obesity rate
- Original research paper – Paediatric Obesity (Wiley Online Library)
- Download the full research paper (PDF)
- The Guardian: Commentary by HENRY CEO Kim Roberts
- The Jewish Telegraph: Leeds bucks trend as children’s obesity falls
- The Times of Israel: Meet the fat-busting professor who would never slip her grandkids candy
Want to get involved or find out more?
If you’d like to learn more about our programmes and services, explore partnership opportunities or support our work to give more children a healthier start in life, we’d love to hear from you.
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