Research studies aim to identify risk factors for obesity, including diet, physical activity, and growth patterns during early life. Investigators are also developing culturally appropriate approaches to prevent and treat obesity and related chronic diseases in both domestic and international at-risk populations based on this research. Investigators at the Center address the need for new approaches to managing obesity and its associated health problems in the United States via individualized programs offered at The Weight Management Center and through clinical trials that test the impact of nutrition on blood pressure, heart disease and kidney disease. In the international arena, Center faculty are studying the emerging problem of obesity in countries in economic and nutritional transition. These nations, while continuing to have undernutrition as a significant public health problem, exhibit an increasing prevalence of obesity in adults and children from low-income families in urban areas. Research projects are taking place in Chile, China, the Marshall Islands, and the United States (Maryland, Arizona, and others).
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