Chairs

Presentations

Energetics and Obesity:  Epistemological, Evidentiary, and Social Challenges in Advancing Knowledge

David B. Allison, Ph.D.
Distinguished Professor
Quetelet Endowed Professor of Public Health
Director, Nutrition Obesity Research Center
University of Alabama at Birmingham

The idea of energetics as an adaptive system is vital to our progress  of dealing with the complex problem of obesity.  There are challenges in the fundamental research strategies that could provide the knowledge we seek.  There are also  social challenges which lead to difficulties in advancing our knowledge. Some suggestions for overcoming these challenges will be offered.

The W.O. Atwater Lectureship was established in 1968 to honor the memory of Wilbur Olin Atwater (1844-1907) and to recognize scientists who have made unique contributions toward improving the diet and nutrition of people around the world. Atwater, considered the father of modern nutrition research and education, was the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s first chief of nutrition investigations.