Progress 01/01/01 to 06/30/05
Outputs
A major goal of the New Jersey Obesity Group (NJOG) is to promote obesity education to scientists, health professionals and provide community service and educate the public on the topic of obesity. The 2005 list or accomplishments are described below. Achieving and Maintaining a Healthy Weight: Practical Advice, 1/28/05, (200+ attendees) Weight Changes in the First Year of College; Psychological Aspects of Obesity; Popular Diets; and Physical Activity in Weight Loss. New Jersey Conference on Childhood Obesity: Challenges and Solutions 4/15/05 (400 attendees) S. Okie, MD, New England J. of Medicine; B. Sherry, PhD, CDC; L. Lytle, PhD, Univ. Minnesota; D. Hoffman, Ph.D., Rutgers Univ; M. Hediger, PhD, NICHD/NIH; B. Gower, Ph.D., Univ. of Alabama at Birmingham; M.S. Faith, PhD, U Penn-School of Medicine; N. Copperman, RD, Schneiders Childrens Hosp., NY; A Field, ScD, Harvard Medical School; N. Stettler, MD, Childrens Hosp. of Philadelphia; M. Nestle, PhD, MPH, New York
Univ.; J. Pucher, PhD, Rutgers Univ.; B Moore, PhD, Shape Up America! This conference with nationally renowned speakers was the first in the State of New Jersey to cover research, treatment and policy for childhood obesity. Lectures by Dr. Shapses on obesity are: - Why Calcium for Weight loss; is there evidence for more? Nutrition Week, Orlando FL, 02/01/05 - Update on Rationale for Low Carbohydrate Diets. Medical Grand Rounds, NJ Academy of Med., 04/20/05 - NJ Obesity Group (05/05/05, 09/28/05). 1. Presentations /Lobbying in Washington, DC for Rutgers Univ. Nutrition/Obesity Initiative at offices of Senators Corzine & Lautenberg, & Congressmen Holt, Pallone, Saxton, & Rothman. 2. Presentation to Bristol Meyers Squibb, CEO, D Hayden. - Food Restriction & Bone: Interaction with Estrogen Status, Am. Coll. Sports Med., TN, 06/02/05. NJOG has become more accessible to the public and faculty frequently respond to questions from the media (i.e., state newspapers, magazines and the
associated press) and from individuals in NJ via our website (http://nutrition.rutgers.edu/njog/ ) and brochure. Outreach activities of NJOG include advising New Brunswick Tomorrow, a non-profit organization that provides health-related support to the community. These efforts resulted in funding of the Healthier New Brunswick 2010 initiative to conduct studies on physical activity in the New Brunswick after-school program. In addition, NJOG members serve the community through free weight loss counseling to Rutgers staff, faculty and students and participation in health fairs. For 2006, we have a J&J Foundation grant to continue our NJOG work, and to also geographically profile counties with the highest mortality rates due to heart disease and diabetes, to determine at-risk groups, (Dr. Schlussel). Through our feasibility grants, NJOG faculty have obtained outside NIH funding. We are also collecting BMI data for children (K-12) in NJ to address the prevalence of childhood obesity in
the state (Dr. Rao). Over the past 5 years, the NJ Obesity Group has advanced research, had extremely successful local and national programs among other outreach activities, about the causes, prevention and treatment of obesity.
Impacts
The activities of the New Jersey Obesity Group have positive affects on clinicians, researchers and communities. The group is successful in leveraging its expertise, funds and efforts to deliver information and solutions for obesity and related diseases. Our symposia have been very well attended by researchers, clinicians, health educators and academics. Some of our symposia also offer continuing education credits. We have offered our science based expertise to the community, which is otherwise often exposed to false information regarding the field of obesity and weight loss. In addition, we support obesity related research with the goal to study the causes and aid in the prevention and treatment of obesity. A major focus is now determining the prevalence of obesity co-morbidities and childhood obesity in the state of NJ, and we are pursuing this with outreach projects.
Publications
- Moreno DA, Ilic N, Poulev A, Brasaemle DL, Fried SK, Raskin I. Inhibitory effects of grape seed extract on lipases. Nutrition. 19(10):876-9, 2003.
- Goode LR, Brolin RE, Chowdhury HA, Shapses SA. Bone and gastric bypass surgery: Effects of dietary calcium and vitamin D. Obesity Res, 12(1):40-7, 2004.
- Forman A. The Second National Conference on Diabesity(R) in America. Nutrition Today. Eds. B Moore, SA Shapses, S Rao, J Storch. 39(6):245-253, November/December 2004
- Shapses SA. Obesity - Multifaceted problem, multilevel treatments. Home News/Tribune. Letter to the Editor, Oct 31, 2004.
- Cifuentes M, Riedt CS, Field MP, Sherrell RM, Brolin RE, Shapses SA. Weight loss and calcium intake influence calcium absorption in overweight postmenopausal women. Am J Clin Nutr 80:123-130, 2004.
- Lee SK, Lee SKL, Park JH, Lee DY, Cheng YY. Acculturation, gender and body weight in Korean Americans. FASEB J, 16(4):A224, 2004.
- Shapses SA, Hadduck B. NJ Obesity Group and Nutritional Sciences, Rutgers University Science full page special report for Gannett Newspapers, February 7th, 2005.
- Riedt CS, Brolin RE, Shapses SA. True fractional calcium absorption is decreased after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass, Obesity Res, (under revision), 2006. Morgan K. "Lighten Up Hunterdon." Project distributed laminated BMI charts and tear off sheets to all physician practices in Hunterdon County.
- Goldstein GL, Daun H, Tepper BJ. Adiposity in middle-aged women is associated with genetic taste blindness to 6-n-propylthiouracil. Obes Res. 13(6):1017-23, 2005.
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Progress 01/01/04 to 12/31/04
Outputs
A major goal of the New Jersey Obesity Group (NJOG) is to facilitate pilot projects by offering 3-4 feasibility grants per year to researchers including a wide range of topics that address taste genetics, absorption side effects of gastric bypass surgery, nutrition obstacles for children among low income parents. This year the projects included: Central adiposity in adults born small for gestational age (Hoffman) Transgenic mice overexpressing CGI-58 to study adipose triacylglycerol metabolism (Brasaemle) Oxidative damage and obstructive sleep apnea: a mechanism for glucose intolerance (Van Hoven) Maintenance of LBM by engineering glutamine metabolism: focus on adipocyte differentiation (Watford). Such feasibility grants have led to larger grants, original publications and presentations in National Conferences (section 43). NJOG has sponsored 2 symposia this past year that were very well attended by faculty and students, academic and industry scientists from
throughout the tri-state area: Obesity: Biological Mechanisms, 11/05/04 (100 attendees) DGAT Enzymes and Triglyceride Synthesis: What do we really know about fat? (S Stone) Liver X Receptors, the Master Regulators of Hepatic Lipogenesis (J Repa) Lipin, a Lipodystrophy and Obesity Gene (K Reue) Achieving and Maintaining a Healthy Weight: Some Practical Advice, 1/28/05, (200 attendees) Topics included: Weight Changes in the First Year of College: Metabolic and Environmental Influences; Psychological Aspects of Obesity; Popular Diets:Risks and Benefits; and The Role of Physical Activity in Weight Loss and Health. Currently we are organizing a daylong symposium for 04/15/05 entitled: New Jersey Conference on Childhood Obesity: Challenges and Solutions NJOG also co-sponsored the New Jersey Obesity Roundtable II, 12/14/04. S Shapses has been invited to offer a number of lectures (partial list): The Obesity Epidemic: What Are We Doing About it in New Jersey? 66th session of the NJ Seminar
Series, Trenton, NJ, 09/28/04 Nutrition and the Consequences of an Unhealthy Diet. Governors Conference for Women, New Brunswick, NJ, 10/6/ 2004 NJ Obesity Group. NJAES Board of Managers, Cook College, RU, 12/2/2004 Improving the Health of NJ's Communities Through University Partnerships.Voorhees Transportation Ctr, Bloustein School, RU, 12/3/2004 Via our website (http://nutrition.rutgers.edu/njog/) and brochure, NJOG has become more accessible to the public. Faculty frequently respond to questions from the media (state newspapers, magazines and the Associated Press) and from individuals in NJ. Outreach activities include advising New Brunswick Tomorrow, a non-profit organization that provides health-related support to the community. These efforts resulted in funding of the Healthier New Brunswick 2010 (Get Fit! Coalition) initiative from the Rutgers Community Health Foundation, to conduct studies on physical activity in the New Brunswick after-school program. In addition, free weight
loss counseling is offered to students, faculty and staff at Rutgers. NJOG members also serve the community through participation in health fairs and by disseminating the latest research information through the media.
Impacts
The activities of the New Jersey Obesity Group have positive affects on clinicians, researchers and communities. The group is successful in leveraging its expertise, funds and efforts to deliver information and solutions for obesity and related diseases. Our symposia have been very well attended by researchers, clinicians, health educators and academics. Some of our symposia also offer continuing education credits. We have offered our science based expertise to the community, which is otherwise bombarded my false information regarding the field of obesity and weight loss. In addition, we support obesity related research with the goal to aid in the prevention and treatment of obesity. A major focus is now childhood obesity. We are collaborating with the City of New Brunswick to collect BMI data from all public schools and we hope to be able to collect BMI data throughout the state of New Jersey. This is essential in order to assess the exact extent of the problem and
thus first seek solutions in the areas affected the most.
Publications
- Goode LR, Brolin RE, Chowdhury HA, Shapses SA 2004. Bone and gastric bypass surgery: Effects of dietary calcium and vitamin D. Obesity Res, 12(1):40-7, 2004.
- Riedt CS, Brolin RE, Shapses SA 2004 True fractional calcium absorption is decreased after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass. NAASO, 12:A33
- Cifuentes M, Reidt C, Field MP, Sherrell RM, Shapses SA 2002 Calcium Absorption during weight loss in postmenopausal women, FASEB J, 16(4): A224.
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Progress 01/01/03 to 12/31/03
Outputs
We are currently in progress of completing our set up a functional clinical core laboratory. With combined funds from our PEG and ELF we have purchased a pQCT to assess bone density and muscle fat marbling in the thigh. In addition, we have a new metabolic cart to assess energy expenditure and fuel oxidation. This facility will be made available to researchers at both Rutgers and UMDNJ as part of shared resources. The main users are currently Shapses, Hoffman and Tepper. We hope that this will start a fruitful sharing of resources to build our strength in both the obesity and osteoporosis fields. Deb Keenan, has collaborated with NJOG researchers Cosminsky and Markowitz to act as a consultant on an NIH proposal submitted to study obesity in children of migrant farmworkers in South Jersey research project. Drs. Shapses and Fried examined vitamin D in adipose tissue under different metabolic conditions to determine how vitamin D is regulated differently in the obese
individual. Drs. Storch and Fried continue the research project investigating the role of different human fatty acid binding proteins on adipocyte metabolism, such as fatty acid oxidation, with the help of the Adipose Core. The results are promising and a graduate student has taken over this project. NJOG outreach activities: New Brunswick Tomorrow is a private, non-profit organization that provides support to the New Brunswick community via multiple task forces. Several members of the group participate in monthly meetings and consult on grant writing and obesity science topics. Free nutrition counseling to Rutgers students to promote weight loss. Students were counseled once weekly by a registered dietitian in Thompson Hall. There was a very good student response to this nutrition education-behavior modification program but due to limited space, the program was limited to 16 overweight or obese students for this six-week program. Students gained from this program by learning more
about healthful ways to eat and also were successful in losing body weight. We plan to offer this successful program again next fiscal year.
Impacts
The activities of the New Jersey Obesity group have positive affects on clinicians, researchers and communities. The group is successful in leveraging its expertise, funds and efforts to deliver information and solutions for obesity and related diseases.
Publications
- Moreno, D. A., Ilic, N., Poulev, A. Brasaemle, D. L., Fried, S. K., and Raskin, I. 2003. Inhibitory effects of grape seed extract on lipases. In press, Nutrition, The International Journal of Applied and Basic Nutritional Sciences.
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