UAB Nutrition Obesity Research Center - Chronic Disease and Health Disparities Revision

University Of Alabama At Birmingham, Birmingham AL

Investigators

Linked publications & trials

Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY The Aspen Health Strategy Group recently concluded that ?the single most consequential step the nation could take to reduce the burden of chronic diseases is to reduce the incidence of obesity.? For 17 years, the University of Alabama at Birmingham Nutrition Obesity Research Center (UAB NORC) has been a leader in conducting research to prevent and treat obesity through investigation of the causal factors underlying nutrition and obesity- related comorbidities. However, current approaches for reducing obesity have failed to prevent the widespread increase in the prevalence and incidence of obesity, especially within underserved communities in the Southeastern U.S. Interventions to treat obesity are characterized by wide inter-individual variability in weight loss success. Our central hypothesis is that interventions to treat obesity need to be personalized and account for the complex and interacting factors that contribute the variability in weight loss. Therefore, the overall objective of this UAB NORC revision is to enhance and build our capacity for developing personalized lifestyle interventions (Specific Aim 1), evaluating their efficacy and effectiveness (Specific Aim 2), and disseminating and implementing them in clinical and community settings in Birmingham and throughout the Southeastern U.S. Specific Aim 1 will be accomplished through the integration and centralization of diet and exercise facilities and expertise available to the UAB NORC research base, and through expanded enrichment activities to facilitate interest in conducting research to identify personalized approaches to reduce obesity. To accomplish Specific Aim 2, we will take advantage of a unique Lifestyle Medicine Clinic being established at UAB to use personalized and evidence-based lifestyle approaches to treat obesity and evaluate promising new personalized approaches. Specific Aim 3 will be accomplished through dissemination of promising research approaches to reduce obesity in collaboration with other UAB research centers that are addressing chronic diseases and that have existing partnerships and networks throughout the Southeastern U.S. Additionally, we will work with the Department of Family Medicine to develop and disseminate education and training curricula in lifestyle medicine to primary health care providers through existing primary care networks. This revision will allow the UAB NORC to work synergistically with other UAB research centers to more directly address the high rates of chronic diseases in the Southeastern U.S. and in underserved communities by promoting and facilitating personalized approaches to obesity research that spans the NIH Translational Science Spectrum. We believe that such approaches are urgently needed to finally ?move the needle? on preventing and treating obesity and obesity-associated chronic diseases.