Marney Quinn RD
Marney Quinn RD
Counterweight Specialist (2000- present) and Scotland Constituency Council Member for Scotland for the British Dietetic Association (BDA) 2011 - 2013
What does your current role entail?
I support and facilitate the delivery of the Counterweight weight management programme in Ayrshire & Arran, and in Dumfries & Galloway in Scotland.
The biggest part of my role is establishing who has interest and capacity to deliver the Counterweight weight management programme. The main services I look to are GP and community services with occupational health and health improvement services in the NHS also considered. A structured delivery plan is established to prospective areas. Included in this plan is the maintenance of the competencies of the practitioners trained and mentored through the Counterweight weight management programme, and the sustainability of the new service. Counterweight is only one part of a strategic approach to weight management with evidence relating to obesity management in the primary care settings. It is important, for a cohesive and sustainable approach to weight management that there is involvement from all tiers of the treatment pathway covering: primary, secondary and tertiary care for both adults and children. Key to the ongoing success of Counterweight, and indeed the appropriate support of people requiring weight management intervention, is the achievement of competency for staff delivering the programme and sustainability of the work locally. Much of my time therefore focuses on these two matters along with colleagues both at local and national level.
In my new part time role as the Scotland Constituency Council Member I hope to make dietetic members in Scotland more aware of the work of the BDA. It is through this role that I hope to represent the belief and views of the dietitians of Scotland, and meet as many of my colleagues as possible. For the past 12 months Scotland has not had representation on the BDA board, and I want Scotland to be represented and have opinions that will shape our professional body.
What are the best and the worst parts of your job?
The best part of the job has to be the variety, but with variety comes uncertainty and change. There are highs and lows. When pieces of work come to an end all the people you have met and would see regularly change, and you feel like you have to start again. It is a bit like starting a new job every nine months and that is hard. The core Counterweight project team is more constant however we meet only every 10-12 weeks.
How do you spend your free time?
I have beautiful twin babies (a boy and a girl). They arrived on the 3rd of November 2009 and all of my ‘not at work’ time is spent with them, playing and singing and dancing or we go out walking or to the play park or to indoor play barns when it rains. I used to mountain bike and rock climb - I hope Arthur and Esme will like to do that when they are old enough.
What would you do if you were health secretary?
Initially, I’d put my head in my hands and hope for some good ideas. Then I’d call everyone that had an educated opinion and ask them what they would do to improve health. As health secretary I’d decide whether or not it would give people better health and see how it all would fit together. If I were health secretary, I’d hope for wisdom.