The family of the late healthy eating advocate Michael Mosley have set up a memorial fund to raise money to research obesity and diabetes.
Mosley, who died aged 67 while on holiday with his wife Dr Clare Bailey Mosley on the Greek island of Symi over the summer, was known for popularising diets and fronting various science programming.
Dr Bailey Mosley wrote on Instagram: “This is a deeply personal milestone for the Mosley family who are launching the Michael Mosley Memorial Research Fund to research obesity, diabetes and metabolic health.
“They are launching this with the Chronic Disease Research Foundation to honour their beloved Michael’s incredible legacy.”
The fund, with a target of £350,000, will see a three-year research fellowship set up at King’s College London, called the Michael Mosley Fellowship to “support urgent clinical research into health issues close to his heart”, she added.
She wrote: “Michael’s work, his unwavering passion for science and helping others, brought him so much purpose — and it continues to inspire us every single day. As we’ve navigated the past months without him, we’ve been focused on finding ways to keep his mission alive, to channel his drive for positive change in the world.
“Our hope is that this will be a lasting part of his legacy, one that can continue making a meaningful difference in people’s lives, now and for years to come.
“If you’re able to contribute, know that your support — no matter how big or small — will directly impact the future of this research. We want to make this fellowship as permanent as possible, and with your help, we can do just that.”
Aside from promoting the 5:2 diet, a form of intermittent fasting, through his book The Fast Diet, he had experience with managing his own weight for health reasons.
When he discovered he had type 2 diabetes in 2012, he reduced his weight to get his blood sugars back to a healthy range.
The qualified doctor has been remembered in various ways since he died earlier this year after going for a walk on Symi, part of the Dodecanese island chain, in high temperatures.
A day was dedicated to him on the BBC when presenters and audiences were encouraged to do “just one thing” to improve their wellbeing.
He was also posthumously given a Hall of Fame prize at the British Podcast Awards in September for the BBC Radio 4 podcast Just One Thing.
Greek authorities found he died of natural causes on June 5, and an inquest will take place in Buckinghamshire in November.
