EXPLORE SCIENCESNAPS
Understanding diets, weight loss and obesity
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People spend a lot of time and effort worrying about what to eat, but more than half of the UK population is now classified as overweight or clinically obese – how can this be? Well it seems that our lifestyles have much to blame. People use lots of excuses to account for their weight . Some of the popular ones include, "I've got big bones"; "I only have to look at a cream cake to gain weight"; 'It's all muscle - muscle is heavier than fat".
To get a proper understanding of the problem we use residential and out-patient volunteers to help us investigate how diet and exercise affect people. Some of my work involves chasing the holy grail of dieting - how to eat less but not feel hungry! Whenever I tell people what my work involves, they always want to know the magic way to lose weight! I'm afraid there is no simple answer!
My research over the last couple of years has been looking at the mental and physical aspects of controlling hunger during weight loss. Once we have an understanding what helps people to lose weight, then we can develop healthier, longer-term weight reduction strategies – it's not just about going on a diet!
My podcasts will take you into our laboratories and show you the science behind weight loss and obesity. How does science sound now?
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| On 14 March | Margaret Fuery wrote... | Very informative |
PROFILE
Alex Johnstone
Human Nutrition Unit,
The Rowett Research Institute, Abedeen
Over the past 10 years, I have been looking at obesity and weight loss and I run a research programme at the Human Nutrition Unit. Of the Rowett Research Institute. This research involves working with people who volunteer to let me feed them for up to 3 months at a time. If that sounds like a lot of cooking, actually, my research focusses on testing these volunteers once we have control over what they eat and how they exercise – we need to know how their minds and bodies respond to different situations in order to understand how people can become obese or lose weight.
There is never a dull day at the Rowett, I find my job varied and exciting! I could be designing new diets, taking blood samples or in my office, writing. These type of studies are hard work, with lots of early mornings and weekend work, but I gain great satisfaction at the end of a study when volunteers lose weight and tell me how much better they feel.