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Young doctor receives Diana Award for nutrition campaigning
Ally Jaffee, 25, who has appeared on TV with Jamie Oliver, is one of only a handful of young people across the globe to receive the accolade
July 2, 2021 14:43
Ally Jaffee, 25, who has appeared on TV with Jamie Oliver, is one of only a handful of young people across the globe to receive the accolade
July 2, 2021 14:43A newly qualified doctor who has campaigned to have diet and nutrition added to the UK’s medical curriculum has won a prestigious Diana Award.
Ally Jaffee, 25, is one of just a handful of young people across the globe to receive the accolade, named after Princess Diana and given to those who go “above and beyond in their daily life to create and sustain positive change”.
In 2017, during her second year at Bristol University, Ms Jaffee and fellow student Iain Broadley established Nutritank, which advises medical schools on teaching students about diet and nutrition.
The pair founded the company out of frustration at the lack of training medical students receive on lifestyle and food, despite poor diets being the cause of many health issues.
Nutritank now works with 25 medical schools and through her involvement with the company, Ms Jaffee has featured on Jamie Oliver’s TV show Jamie and Jimmy’s Friday Night Feast.
“Winning a Diana Award was so out of the blue — I’m still absolutely stunned,” she said. “It’s amazing to see the work that Nutritank is doing being recognised by such a prestigious scheme.
“Having a lifestyle that benefits us is so important, not just for physical health but also our mental health.
“My dream is to see more nutrition and cooking programmes for NHS mental health patients.
“I have recently helped lead a pilot cooking programme on a London psychiatric intensive care ward — watch this space for more.”
Bristol Medical School head Ashley Blom said: “We are extremely proud of what Ally has achieved. It is so encouraging when students are pro-active and help co-create the curriculum in this way. Healthy living is immensely important in preventing both physical and mental illness.”
An alumnus of Highgate School, Ms Jaffee is a member of South Hampstead Synagogue, where she celebrated her batmitzvah.
During her time at Bristol, she regularly travelled back to North London on weekends for Friday night dinner with her family.