Leeds Beckett University - City Campus,
Woodhouse Lane,
LS1 3HE
Ken's seminar will focus on several key areas, including:
• The lived experience of obesity
• How groups and organisations can influence change
• Understanding PPI&E and why it is needed
• The development of Obesity Voices and the difference it is makes
Ken Clare has lived with obesity all of his life. He trained
as a psychiatric and general nurse in the late 1970’s. He had a full and
successful career in the NHS. He had bariatric surgery in 2002 and concerned at
the lack of UK based support he set up a forum based support network and face
to face support groups around the UK. WLSinfo soon became a registered charity.
In 2019 WLSinfo merged with HOOP and launched at ECO 2019 as Obesity UK. Ken is
currently Director of Support Services at Obesity UK.
In 2013 Ken spoke at European Congress on Obesity in Liverpool, and at ECO the
Patients Council was formed. The patient council evolved and was launched as
ECPO at ECO in 2019. He has held a board level post and is now proud to serve
as Chair of the Board of the Directors.
He was a founding member of the Global Obesity Patient Alliance, and is
committed to this international network of PLwO and their associations.
Ken is to serve as the lead for Patient and Public Involvement/Engagement in
“Obesity Voices” in the Obesity Institute at Leeds Beckett University. To say
he loves this role is a massive understatement and he is delighted to be part
of the world class awesome team in the Obesity Institute.
In his spare time Ken enjoys 70’s music, cricket, gadget based geekery,
learning German and is an avid Flight Simulator enthusiast.
