September 2016 edition 27
ihbi
Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation
IN THIS ISSUE
ADVANCES Infection research takes ‘disarm, not kill’ approach Impetus to treat medical conditions using 3D printing Team hones in on molecule to address cancer resistance Technology taps into motivation to build healthy lifestyles Robotics research aiming to improve knee surgery Executive Director’s report
Centre: Professor Lynne Daniels
Professor Stewart Trost
Prevention better than cure for addressing global obesity rates Context is important in preventative health research. Studies need to take into account how people behave, how easily they can accommodate preventative measures into their lives – and how willing they are. Context is a major driver in shaping obesity prevention research at IHBI. IHBI Professor Stewart Trost is considering how best to ensure obesity prevention programs borne from evidencebased research are rolled out to the community and have a real health impact. He is establishing the Queensland node of the Centre of Research Excellence (CRE) in the Early Prevention of Obesity in Childhood. OBESITY A term used to describe somebody who is very overweight with a high degree of body fat. PREVENTION The best way to prevent becoming overweight, or obese, is through a healthy diet and regular exercise. It is important for parents to provide support to their children to be physically active from an early age. A HEALTHY DIET • Limit intake of fats, salt and sugar •
Avoid white bread, white rice, pastries, sugary drinks and other highly processed food
Increase •
consumption of plant foods, particularly fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grains and nuts
•
Drink water
The CRE aims to reduce the prevalence of obesity and obesityrelated behaviours, especially in children under five years of age. Among the key lifestyle links to obesity are a poor diet, inadequate sleep and insufficient activity. Professor Trost says there is no single tool that has been demonstrated to be effective for use with infants, toddlers and Preschool-aged children. He is working with IHBI colleague Professor Lynne Daniels, who leads the PEACH (Parenting, Eating and Activity for Child Health) program, with the aim of arming parents with the skills and confidence to enable the whole family to eat better and be more active. Professor Daniels works with more than 800 Queensland families with children above the healthy weight range and is reporting some reduction in weight; improvements in diet and activity levels; and increased parent confidence to manage eating and activity for their family. However, Professor Trost aims to prevent children reaching an unhealthy weight. While learning from some of the behaviours that Professor Daniels reports, he is aware of the different motivations he needs to understand for prevention strategies. “There is a knowledge gap in determining the most effective obesity prevention programs for children up to the age of five,” he says. “For a start, we have not yet identified the most accurate way of monitoring of obesity-related behaviours, given there is a large variation in activity, sleep and diet among children.”
The CRE aims to develop rapid, validated measuring tools for obesity-related behaviours so that prevention strategies can be designed and rolled out through user-friendly online resources. The prevention strategies will also be evaluated for costeffectiveness, acceptability, sustainability and scalability. Professor Trost takes seriously his goal of reducing the prevalence of obesity among children in order to transform the health trajectories of the next generation. “It is a major health issue in Australia that we need to address. We are doing the research, but we need to be consultative to ensure we understand what drives obesity-related behaviours. “Translating research into practice also requires an understanding of the policy context and how to engage clinical practitioners and parents in the community.” One in five children and adolescents are either overweight or obese, with predictions that 65 per cent of young Australians will be overweight or obese by 2020. About 80 per cent of obese adolescents will become obese adults, placing them at risk of developing type 2 diabetes, liver problems, respiratory disorders and cardiovascular disease. Funding for the CRE was secured from the National Health and Medical Research Council in a bid led by the University of Sydney. IHBI researchers will collaborate with CRE partners at the University of South Australia, the University of Sydney and Deakin University.