Research Frontiers in Nutritional Sciences

Non-Technical Summary:<br/>
Obesity is a major nutrition problem in the United States. Currently, 72 million Americans are overweight or obese (19) and obesity has been declared as a disease. Risk factors associated with weight gain include poor dietary choices, physical inactivity, and lifestyle. Of particular concern is the rate of increase of obesity in children. With the increasing burden of chronic diseases related to obesity, new interdisciplinary strategies are required to tackle these complex problems and will be explored in the context of this conference. Special emphasis will be placed on dietary guidelines for the public and policies. Sponsoring this conference will provide the necessary infrastructure financial support to develop and conduct a multidisciplinary, translational research meeting to bring together scientists to develop collaborative solutions and research agendas targeted to reducing the burden of the obesity epidemic.
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Approach:<br/>
This Conference will address how behavior impacts the susceptibility to obesity. Identifying eating behaviors that may improve weight control has been the focus of nutrition education and counseling interventions for decades. Review of this history is important for the design of novel approaches to the problem of overweight and obesity. Macronutrient composition of the diet, portion control and frequency of eating are but three concepts in the nutrition assessment and intervention strategies for weight control that require insights from behavioral studies. An important aspect is that the rate of increase of obesity in children is ~3 times the rate of increase reported in adults. The most striking evidence of the impact of childhood obesity is the increased incidence of diabetes in young adults. Therefore, the presentations that will be included in the "Behavior" session will address the epidemiological evidence supporting dietary guidelines in obesity and what can be done to induce behavioral changes that may reduce its incidence. Areas of discussion will include parental education, improvements of food programs at schools, better education of health care providers, the role of dietary supplements for weight loss, patterns of food dependence, and the development of physical activity and healthy weight programs. Experimental evidence suggests that obesity acts as a modifier of pathways associated with inflammation, bone disorders, diabetes, and cancer. Therefore, presentations will address how obesity influences metabolic pathways and cancer risk; the effects of early nutrition on susceptibility to chronic diseases; effects of obesity on inflammation, bone health, and diabetes. In general, this session will attempt to identify how situations of obesity influences metabolic signals, tissue specific adaptations to differences in nutrient supply and consequences of unbalanced diets, and discuss how results of basic research are translated into practical applications for obesity prevention. The spreading of the obesity epidemic suggests that there is a need for public policies that help individuals to make healthier food choices and increase energy expenditure through physical activity. This session will address important issues related to dietary and physical activity guidelines, needs for consuming fewer and different calories, impact of food supply on weight gain, types and amounts of foods that people should consume to maintain healthy weight, influence of media and marketing on choices, especially in children, and develop constructive actions and priorities in collaboration with public and private entities, and professional organizations.
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Progress:<br/>
2012/01 TO 2012/12<br/>
OUTPUTS: The Research Frontiers in Nutritional Sciences Conference was held on February 29-March 1, 2012 on the Campus of the University of Arizona. Activities included presentations by invited speakers on behavior, biology, and policy related to obesity. Events included seminar presentations, speaker panels and discussions, lunch poster viewing and judging, and recognition of young scientists and graduate students. Services include discussion with nutritionists and registered dietitians. Products included Conference Proceedings, audio and video presentations, for individuals, communities, students graduated in agricultural sciences. Information about the conference can be found at: http://uanews.org/calendar/2012-research-frontiers-nutritional-scienc es-conference
<br/>PARTICIPANTS: Donato Romagnolo, Professor; Conference Chair Wanda Howell, Professor; Conference Co Chair; Director, Didactic Program in Dietetics; Chair of the Faculty Scott Going, Professor; Director, Center for Physical Activity Nutrition; Cynthia Thomson, Professor; Director, Canyon Ranch Center for Prevention and Health Promotion, Theresa Spicer Conference Coordinator. Theresa Spicer, Conference Coordinator CALS Web Development Team, Matt Rahr, Toby Torrey and Yvonne Bourgeois Melanie Hingle, Kirsten Limesand and Jennifer Teske, Poster Judges Nancy Driscoll and Kelly Jackson, Student Support. Bart Cardon Associate Dean for Academic Programs Career Development; Professor and Head, Department of Nutritional Sciences College of Agriculture Life Sciences, Andrew Comrie, Dean Graduate College.Tufts University and NIH Office of Dietary Supplements Scott Going, Dept. of Nutritional Sciences, College of Agriculture Life Sciences, UA Walter C. Willet, Dept. of Nutrition, Harvard School of Public Health James F. Sallis, Family and Preventive Medicine, San Diego State University Paul M. Coates, Office of Dietary Supplements, National Institutes of Health Nobuko Hongu, Dept. of Nutritional Sciences, College of Agriculture Life Sciences, UA Steven Hursting, Nutrition, Cellular and Molecular Sciences, University of Texas Austin; Molecular Carcinogenesis, UT, MD Anderson Cancer Ctr Michelle Forman, Dept. of Epidemiology, University of Texas Austin, UT, MD Anderson Cancer Ctr. Janet Funk,College of Medicine, UA Sharon Ross, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health Bioenergetics, Hector Keun, Dept. of Biomolecular Medicine, Imperial College, London, UK Donato Romagnolo, Dept. of Nutritional Sciences, UA Wanda Howell, Dept. of Nutritional Sciences, UA Dale Kunkle, Dept. of Communication, UA Food Marketing to Kids in the Context of Obesity Adrianne Bendich, President, Consultants in Consumer Healthcare LLC Rafael Perez Escamilla, Dept. of Epidemiology, Yale School of Public Cathy Nonas,Director, Obesity and Diabetes Programs, North General Hospital, New York, NY.
<br/>TARGET AUDIENCES: Target audiences included scientists, clinicians, government, food, and drug industry representatives, graduate students, postdoctoral fellows in training, registered dietitians, and the general public at large.
<br/>PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: None
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Impact: The Conference generated discussions on how food and physical activity impact the risk of obesity and development of chronic diseases. Other products included the identifications of gaps related to nutritional biology and obesity, physical activity guidelines, food policies, and the need to develop interdisciplinary approaches among scientists, clinicians, Government, and food and drug industry. A special focus was devoted to the future role of junior investigators and graduate students.