UM to host Summit on Childhood Obesity at Hilton Baltimore

Science and medical reporters are invited to sample a wide diversity of new research and policy initiatives at a Summit on Childhood Obesity on Tues., Nov. 15 and Wed., Nov. 16 at the Hilton Baltimore.

Experts on the agenda say childhood obesity has reached crisis stage.

Scientists from the host University of Maryland (UM), will be available to interview from on-going research projects in the University's professional schools of medicine, nursing, pharmacy, law, social work, and dentistry in Baltimore. The University and co-host the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene have attracted an outstanding agenda of top federal and state health and childhood experts who will present and share ideas, and advance solutions in multiple breakout sessions.

The Summit will focus on interdisciplinary solutions and is the fulfillment of a promise by pediatrician Jay A. Perman last year when he became president of the University to raise awareness and act on the issue. He says, "The childhood obesity problem is becoming entirely too common." It is the leading health challenge for children today, which will take a confluence of social, economic and medical resources to solve, says Perman.

At the end of the Summit, a panel of scientists will present new findings, moderated by Claire Fraser-Liggett, PhD, director, Institute for Genome Sciences, UM School of Medicine.

Here is short selection of the many faculty members available who are currently conducting research on the issue, from the molecular level to the community levels:

Genomics—Fraser-Liggett on microbes that live in and on the human body and how they affect obesity; and on genetic insights on obesity from comparative genomic studies on members of Amish communities.

New discoveries—Wanli Smith, PhD, assistant professor, UM School of Pharmacy, on a newly discovered model which can be used to predict risk of obesity. In experiments to be published next week in the International Journal of Obesity, when more and more of a human protein called Synphilin-1 was expressed in the brains of laboratory mice, the more they ate and gained weight.

Aiping Zhao, PhD, assistant professor, UM School of Medicine on a newly discovered a gene in the human gut that could help regulate obesity factors.

Pathophysiology and Prevention—Soren Snitker MD, PhD, associate professor, UM School of Medicine, on the inseparable roles of genetics and environment; and on the effects of sedentary living, e.g. television watching, which he says has the worst sedentary effect on health in history—TV commercials for unhealthy snacks dominate children's programming, for instance.

Pediatrics--Maureen M Black PhD, professor, UM School of Medicine, on nutrition and child development, focusing on both under-nutrition (failure-to-thrive) and overweight.

The pharmacist and hypertension—Fadia Shaya, PhD, professor, UM School of Pharmacy, on programs tested in Baltimore to coach and educate communities, through medication and lifestyle change, for controlling high blood pressure risk of cardiovascular diseases.

Nursing--Christine Calamaro, PhD, CRNP, assistant professor, UM School of Nursing, on the fate of underserved toddlers below the poverty line, a subject largely unstudied; on ways to teach parents that childhood obesity is a long-term health matter; and on interactive social media for adolescents to help one another understand life style causes and unhealthy effects of obesity.

Sociology--Claudia R. Baquet, MD, director, Center for Health Disparities, School of Medicine, on studies of cultural influences on obesity in socio-ethnic and low income communities.

Public health and pediatric epidemiology--Erin R Hager, PhD, assistant professor, UM School of Medicine, on valid techniques to assess obesity prevention (including body composition and physical activity) and the implementation of pediatric obesity-prevention programs with a strong familial component. The native Baltimorean works with low-income, urban families to ensure their children have opportunities for physical activity and to avoid obesity.