Exploring Nutritional and Metabolomic Pathways Linking Chronic Stress and Childhood Obesity
Chronic stress is a key risk factor for obesity and the accumulation of abdominal fat among children, which are harmful to long-term health. However, the mechanisms that underlie these relationships are poorly understood. This study will draw from a well-characterized cohort of children to provide some of the first data to explore two often-hypothesized, yet surprisingly relatively untested, pathways via which stress may lead to childhood obesity: excessive intake of "comfort foods" and perturbed metabolism. This work will identify novel child-level nutritional and biological responses to chronic stress.
Institution: University of Michigan
Principal Investigator: Katherine Bauer, PhD
Year Awarded: 2016
The IAFNS Future Leader Award, given annually to promising nutrition and food scientists, allows new investigators the opportunity to add to an existing project or to conduct exploratory research that might not receive funding from other sources or add to an existing project. Consideration is given to individuals proposing research in the areas of experimental nutrition, nutrition and toxicology, and nutrition and food science. Grants extend for a period of 2 years at a funding level of $15,000 USD per year. Funds may not be used for overhead or to support the investigator’s salary.
