Sept. 9, 2010

Contact:
Jeremy Craig, 404-413-1357
University Relations

Renee DeGross Valdes, 404-413-1353
University Relations

ATLANTA – As obesity rates in the United States reach epidemic proportions, researchers from across Georgia State University are banding together to help fight the growing health crisis.

More than 20 campus researchers from biology to economics to exercise science have recently formed an Obesity Research Group. The group, which will meet on Sept. 22 for the first meeting of the semester, seeks to foster interdisciplinary research and collaboration to help combat the problem.

“A lot of people are doing research about obesity independently, but we weren’t aware of each others’ efforts,” said Joyce Maalouf, obesity research director at the Institute of Public Health and project manager for the Policy Leadership for Active Youth (PLAY) initiative.

Georgia State obesity researchers will participate in the fourth annual Southern Obesity Summit to be held Sept. 12-14 in Atlanta, sharing their expertise in a wide range of subjects, from policy to biology. Being able to collaborate with others on campus across disciplines puts GSU at an advantage, said Rusty Tchernis, associate professor of economics in the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies, whose research centers on federal health nutrition programs and childhood obesity.

“Few universities have multidisciplinary groups that look at obesity and childhood obesity in particular – we can be competitive in this area,” he said.

Ongoing research on GSU’s campus ranges from policy making to access to healthy foods. As part of the group, researchers can present their ongoing research.

For instance, efforts to understand the basic biological mechanisms behind obesity are the center of Tim Bartness’ research, which was presented to the group in one of its first meetings.

“By looking at how nature causes animals to lose body fat as seasons change, we can gain insight into how humans could lose body fat,” said Bartness, a Regents' Professor of biology.

Researchers in the College of Education’s Department of Kinesiology and Health at GSU are working on the behavior aspect of the childhood obesity epidemic, from new fitness tests to youth physical activity programs.

“In the state of Georgia, we have a huge problem with childhood obesity,” said Regents' Professor of Exercise Science Walter Thompson, who runs the Atlanta After-School All-Stars Program. “And that’s a problem that needs to be changed. This group that has been formed at GSU is a multidisciplinary approach to multiple interventions that will challenge the obesity epidemic.”

Additionally, Maalouf said that collectively, the group will help provide future grant opportunities for obesity research at Georgia State.

The Obesity Research Group fits into the larger effort by the University System of Georgia to address the problems of obesity statewide. Additionally, PLAY and the Institute of Public Health will serve as local hosts for the Southern Obesity Summit (http://www.southernobesitysummit.org).

For more information about the Obesity Research Group, contact Joyce Maalouf of the Institute of Public Health, jmaalouf1@gsu.edu.