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A new research center will focus on one of the biggest public health problems facing our nation.

UT Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas has received a federal grant for developing an interdisciplinary center to research obesity and metabolic diseases associated with it. Obesity is associated with a number of serious health problems, such as diabetes, heart disease, stroke and some forms of liver disease. The researchers plan to study the causes of obesity and how obesity relates to these other problems.

Dr. Scott Grundy, chairman of UT Southwestern's Center for Human Nutrition, says this research is especially important at this time as obesity trends mean there will likely be an increase in diabetes and heart disease in the coming decades.

The UT Southwestern researchers will conduct laboratory, genetic and clinical trials related to these issues.

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Nov. 2004

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