Obesity is one of the greatest public health challenges facing the world today with the numbers of those affected continuing to rise at an alarming rate. It further represents a major risk factor for chronic diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease and cancers. Obesity is a multifaceted disorder that ultimately results from a perturbation in the body’s capacity to maintain energy homeostasis. Complex interactions between environmental and genetic factors are further known to influence body weight. Active research is thus being carried out to understand what makes people obese, in order to help develop strategies for the prevention and treatment of obesity.
In this course, we will learn more about obesity and how it has increasingly become a serious health concern. We will look at how the body maintains energy balance and the different hormones and organs systems that mediate this process. We will focus on the evidence that demonstrates a genetic basis for obesity and learn how researchers use different strategies to identify genes linked to obesity. We will examine the impact of environmental factors such as an unhealthy diet and lifestyle on body weight and the role of epigenetics in mediating gene-environment interactions. Finally, we will discuss and explore how various ethical, social and behavioural aspects influence the obesity epidemic. The course will be taught through a combination of interactive lectures, hands-on experimental work using microscopes and discussion games.
Learning outcomes
- To develop an understanding of how the body maintains energy balance and the physiological basis of obesity;
- To gain an awareness of the genetic factors that protect or predispose to obesity and their complex interplay with the environment;
- To develop an appreciation of the multidimensional nature of the obesity epidemic and the network of economic, social and behavioural factors that influence it.
