NEWS RELEASES
4/16/03 News Release
PRINT MEDIA CONTACT: Sara Selis, (650) 723-7798 ()
BROADCAST MEDIA CONTACT: M.A. Malone, (650) 723-6912 ()
STANFORD SYMPOSIUM EXPLORES LATEST INFO ON DIETING, WEIGHT-LOSS PLANS
STANFORD, Calif. With the plethora of information about competing
diet plans and exercise regimens, it's a challenge for the public and
health-care professionals to make informed choices. With that in mind,
the Stanford Center for Research in Disease Prevention is hosting an
April 24 symposium that aims to streamline the process by presenting
the latest research-based information on preventing obesity and staying
healthy.
The free symposium, "Popular Diet and Exercise Programs for Obesity
Prevention and Good Health: What Works?" will feature a half-dozen
Stanford researchers addressing topics such as "Popular diets: What
we know and what we don't know;" "Behavioral strategies for
weight management;" and "Current exercise guidelines and popular
exercise programs: What can you believe?" Also presenting will be
Steven Blair, a nationally renowned researcher on fitness and obesity,
who is research director at the Cooper Institute for Aerobics Research
in Dallas.
William Haskell, PhD, professor of medicine at Stanford and organizer
of the conference, said the event offers a unique opportunity for the
public and health professionals to get reliable scientific information. "When
it comes to diet and exercise, everyone thinks they know all they need
to know, but there's a lot of misinformation out there," he said.
The symposium, Haskell said, would be valuable for health-care professionals
seeking information to assist in advising patients on matters of diet
and exercise. "It's a common scenario that a patient will tell his
doctor, 'Hey, I just lost 20 pounds on the Atkins diet, isn't that great?'
but the doctor isn't sure how to respond," he said.
With 44.3 million American adults classified as obese, Haskell noted,
obesity has become "an epidemic" in the United States, leading
to serious health problems including diabetes and heart disease. Given
the gravity of the problem, he said, medical institutions like Stanford
have a responsibility to educate the public and promote healthy behaviors.
The symposium will be in Fairchild Auditorium at the School of Medicine from 2 to 6 p.m. April 24 and will conclude with a question-and-answer session. A reception will follow at 6 p.m. in the Fairchild lobby. The event is held in memory of James Whittam, PhD, former president and CEO of the Shaklee Companies in San Francisco, and is supported by the Whittam family and Shaklee Corp. Space is limited and registration is required by calling (650) 723-9649 or e-mailing by April 22.
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The Stanford University School of Medicine consistently ranks among the nation’s top 10 medical schools, integrating research, medical education, patient care and community service. For more news about the school, please visit http://mednews.stanford.edu. The medical school is part of Stanford Medicine, which includes Stanford Hospital & Clinics and Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital. For information about all three, please visit http://stanfordmedicine.org/about/news.html.
