William Philip Trehearne James (June 27, 1938 – October 5, 2023) was a British professor. ^[1]

Early life and education

James was born in Liverpool, England in 1938, but grew up in Bala, Snowdonia, Wales. ^{[2] [3]} His family members were Quakers. ^[3]

James attended Ackworth School and later studied medicine at UCL Medical School. ^{[2] [1]}

Career

In 1965, James was sent by the Medical Research Council to study malnutrition in Jamaica, where he developed treatments for children with severe malnutrition and diarrhoea. ^{[2] [1]} He later became director of the Rowett Institute in 1982, a leading nutrition research institute, and worked on projects for the World Health Organization (WHO). ^{[2] [1]}

In the early 1980s, James co-authored a report by the National Advisory Committee on Nutrition Education, which provided recommendations on reducing fat, sugar, and salt intake in the British diet. ^[2]

In 1995, James founded the International Obesity Task Force (IOTF) and organized the first WHO global burden analysis of obesity, highlighting the substantial disease burden associated with high Body mass index. ^[2] He also established the International Association for the Study of Obesity (now the World Obesity Federation), serving as its president from 2007 to 2014. ^[2]

Awards and recognition

James was elected to Fellowship of the Royal Society of Edinburgh in 1986 and appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 1993. ^[2]

William Philip T James Award is named after him. ^[3]

Personal life

James was married to Jean Moorhouse from 1961 until his death, and they had two children. ^{[2] [3]}

References