The worldwide obesity epidemic is rapidly spreading and ruining the health of many, and the future health of many as well. In the United States, many millions of us are eating too much of the widely available good-tasting, high-calorie foods and not exercising nearly enough to offset our intake. Because the problem of obesity has many dimensions to it, the Northwestern University Comprehensive Center on Obesity will attack it from several different directions. Root causes of obesity include biological, evolutionary, sociological, and economic and political elements. The center's investigators will perform fundamental cellular research, systems biology, clinical research and clinical trials, clinical care - including lifestyle management and medical and surgical treatment - and outcomes research. Public education about obesity and its complications and related public policy initiatives will receive significant attention. The extraordinary talent, advanced technologies, state-of-the art laboratories and treatment facilities offered by our research-intensive, highly ranked medical school and our outstanding clinical affiliates will be fully utilized. The center will address obesity throughout the life cycle, including childhood and pregnancy. In addition, high-risk populations, such as Hispanics and African Americans, will be a focus of research as will sleep disorders, and impaired fertility. Under the umbrella of the NCCO, the Center for Lifestyle Medicine, located in the Northwestern Medical Faculty Foundation on the 19th floor of Galter Pavilion, will clinically address the individual needs of each patient that relate to such topics as diet, physical activity, and other healthy behaviors. The healthcare team approach offered by these healthcare professionals provides the best possible options for weight loss and weight management available. |
