Copenhagen gets grant to combat obesity

A DKK 120 million grant from the Ministry of Science now has the University of Copenhagen (U of C) working to understand, prevent and treat lifestyle illnesses

by Sebastian Zieler

With a little over a sixth of the world’s population overweight, the World Health Organization (WHO) considers obesity to be one of the biggest global health risks.

See also article Quest for the genetics of obesity and diabetes

A DKK 120m 5-year grant from the Danish Ministry of Science is to help the University of Copenhagen come up with a solution. In the project Food, Fitness and Pharma, researchers from socioeconomic or food scientific backgrounds are to collaborate with those working with genetics, epidemiology, muscle physiology and pharmacology.

»It is a breakthrough in teamwork. Researchers from 17 departments from six faculties will be working together in new, synergy-enhancing constellations, and with a cross-disciplinary approach.« says Thue Schwartz, professor of molecular pharmacology, who is leading the project.

The research programme, Food, Fitness & Farma, is the U of C’s largest cross-disciplinary initiative yet.

In the last 10-20 years there has been a drastic rise in the amount of people obese and diabetic. Not only are obese people getting bullied in school or at work, they are also at a high risk to suffer from heart disease, strokes, hypertension, gallstones, osteoarthritis and cancer.

uniavis@adm.ku.dk

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