Obesity in the 21st Century
agenda
Held October 3, 2003, in connection with Boston
University's School of Public Health. To view
streaming video, click on the title of each talk.
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Introduction
Why talk about the science of obesity?
Ellen Ruppel Shell, co-director of the Knight Center for Science and Medical Journalism, describes why this is a good time to talk about obesity. (6 minutes)
Introduction
David Baron, Knight Center Visiting Scholar. (3 minutes)
Why the human body resists diets
Dr. Rudolph Leibel, head of the Division of Molecular Genetics at Columbia University, describes why it is so difficult for many people to lose weight. (22 minutes)
Modern weight-loss treatments
Dr. Samuel Klein, president of the North American Organization for the Study of Obesity, explains that losing even a little weight results in large health improvements, and describes the various current treatments for obesity and their effectiveness. (21 minutes)
Questions and answers (23 Minutes)
Introduction
Ellen Ruppel Shell, co-director of the Knight Center. (2 Minutes)
Schools and childhood obesity
Howell Wechsler, Ph.D., team leader of the Research Application Branch of the Centers for Disease Control's Division of Adolescent and School Health, describes what schools can do to reduce childhood obesity. (15 minutes)
Why suburbs make us fat
Dr. Howard Frumkin, chair of the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health at Emory University School of Medicine, describes how modern real estate planning discourages people from getting enough exercise and suggests ways to fix the problem. (16 minutes)
Help from the federal government?
Judith S. Stern, Sc.D., a professor in the Departments of Nutritional and Internal Medicine at the University of California, Davis, charges the federal government isn't doing enough to prevent obesity. (20 minutes)
Questions and answers (33 Minutes)
Featured speaker
Dr. William Dietz, director of the Division of Nutrition and Physical Activity at the Centers for Disease Control, describes government strategies for wiping out obesity. (30 minutes)
Questions and answers (15 minutes)
Food fights: Behind the scenes of obesity litigation
Introduction
Leonard Glantz, J.D., associate dean of the BU School of Public Health. (4 minutes)
Is fast food the culprit?
Margo Wootan, D.Sc., director of nutrition policy at the Center for Science in the Public Interest, describes how the fast food industry plays a major role in the expanding American waste line. (19 minutes)
Sue the bastards
John Banzhaf III, J.D., a professor at the George Washington School of Law and a leading figure in recent litigation against tobacco companies, describes how lawyers are now focusing their attention on fast food companies and why he thinks they're likely to win. (16 minutes)
What obesity epidemic?
Paul Campos, J.D., a professor of law at the University of Colorado, describes why he thinks obesity is just the latest artificial crisis in a long line of American crises. (20 minutes)
Questions and answers (28 minutes)
Closing remarks
Finding consensus
Dr. Robert Meenan, dean of the Boston University School of Public Health, sums up the conference and searches for points everyone can agree upon. (8 minutes)
