Rob van Dam

Dr. van Dam conducts research into the role of diet in the development of obesity, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases with a particular interest in Asian diets. The ultimate goal of his research is to identify opportunities for the prevention of these chronic conditions though dietary changes. His research is based on large-scale cohort studies, dietary intervention studies, and meta-analyses. Current research concerns the integration of data on dietary intakes and biochemical markers to identify dietary factors that affect the development of type 2 diabetes and coronary heart disease. He also conducts research to obtain a better understanding of the role of the physical, social and cultural environment in shaping dietary habits for the development of more effective interventions for the prevention of obesity and type 2 diabetes.

Dietary patterns and dietary components in relation to risk of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases

This research program aims to elucidate the role of diet in the etiology of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. Thus far, Dr. van Dam has conducted studies on the role of vitamin D, calcium and dairy, coffee and its components, dietary fat and meat consumption, intake of flavonoids, breakfast consumption and meal frequency, and dietary patterns. In the US, he is currently involved in an NIH-funded study on dietary polyphenols, urinary biomarkers, and risk of type 2 diabetes based on the Nurses' Health Study. In Singapore, he conducts a study on dietary fatty acids, oxilipins (fatty acid derived signalling molecules), inflammation and risk of coronary heart disease in the Singapore Chinese Health Study. He is particularly interested in the role of Asian diets, because the variation in foods and food components is markedly different from more widely studied American and European populations.

Behavioral and genetic determinants of dietary habits and the development of obesity

Genetic studies of determinants of dietary habits include genome-wide association studies of caffeine intake, taste-based food preferences, and eating styles. Dr. van Dam is also interested in the behavioral determinants (e.g. cultural factors, neighborhood environment) of dietary habits and the development of obesity. This research is part of the National University of Singapore Global Asia Institute project for the prevention of type 2 diabetes that is a collaboration with HSPH. The goal of these research projects is a more complete understanding of determinants of eating habits to develop effective interventions for the prevention of obesity and type 2 diabetes.   

Associate Professor, Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health and Department of Medicine, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore

Associate Editor, Emerging Themes in Epidemiology 

Member of the Editorial Board of 'Journal of Obesity' and 'World Journal of Diabetes'

PhD Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam Medical School
MSc Wageningen University

Check the Sugar content of Beverages

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Initiative for the Prevention of Type 2 Diabetes in Asia

The Harvard School of Public Health and the Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, National University of Singapore collaborate to contribute to research, training, and public education for the prevention of type 2 diabetes in Asia. Videos and presentations from the inaugoral symposium which included experts on diabetes prevention from across the world can be found here.   

Publications in Researcher ID

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS (some with links to full text papers)

Diet and risk of type 2 diabetes

Wedick NM, Pan A, Cassidy A, Rimm EB, Sampson L, Rosner B, Willett W, Hu FB, Sun Q, van Dam RM. Dietary flavonoid intakes and risk of type 2 diabetes in US men and women. Am J Clin Nutr. 2012 Apr;95(4):925-33

Radhika G, van Dam RM, Sudha V, Ganesan A, Mohan V. Refined grain consumption and the metabolic syndrome in urban Asian Indians (Chennai Urban Rural Epidemiology Study 57). Metabolism. 2009;58:675-81.

de Munter JSL, Hu FB, Spiegelman D, Franz M, van Dam RM. Whole grain, bran, and germ intake and risk of type 2 diabetes: a prospective study and systematic review. PLoS Medicine 2007;4:e261. 

van Dam RM, Willett WC, Rimm EB, Stampfer MJ, Hu FB. Dietary fat and meat intake in relation to risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus in men. Diabetes Care 2002;25:417-24.

van Dam RM, Rimm EB, Willett WC, Stampfer MJ, Hu FB. Dietary patterns and risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus in U.S. men. Ann Intern Med 2002;136:201-9.

Coffee consumption in relation to type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases

Wedick NM, Brennan AM, Sun Q, Hu FB, Mantzoros CS, van Dam RM. Effects of caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee on biological risk factors for type 2 diabetes: a randomized controlled trial. Nutr J. 2011;10:93.

van Dam RM. Coffee consumption and risk of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and cancer. Appl Physiol Nutr Metab. 2008;33:1269-83. Review.

van Dam RM, Hu FB. Coffee consumption and risk of type 2 diabetes. A systematic review. JAMA 2005;294:1-8.

van Dam RM, Pasman WJ, Verhoef P. Effects of coffee consumption on fasting blood glucose and insulin concentrations: randomized controlled trials in healthy volunteers. Diabetes Care 2004;27:2990-2.

van Dam RM, Feskens EJM. Coffee consumption and risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus. Lancet 2002;360:1477-8.

Health impact of obesity

Gao H, Salim A, Lee J, Tai ES, van Dam RM. Can body fat distribution, adiponectin levels and inflammation explain differences in insulin resistance between ethnic Chinese, Malays and Asian Indians? Int J Obes (Lond). 2011 Sep 27. doi: 10.1038/ijo.2011.185. [Epub ahead of print]

van Dam RM, Li T, Spiegelman D, Franco OH, Hu FB. Combined impact of lifestyle factors on mortality: prospective cohort study in U.S. women. BMJ 2008;337:a1440.

Li S, Shin HJ, Ding EL, van Dam RM. Adiponectin levels and risk of type 2 diabetes: a systematic review and meta-analysis. JAMA. 2009;302:179-88.

van Dam RM, Willett WC, Manson JE, Hu FB. The relationship between overweight in adolescence and premature death in women. Annals of Internal Med 2006;145:91-7. 

Snijder MB, van Dam RM, Visser M, Seidell JC. What aspects of body fat are particularly hazardous and how do we measure them? Int J Epidemiol 2006;35:83-92.

van Dam RM, Boer JMA, Feskens EJM, Seidell JC. Parental history of diabetes modifies the association between abdominal adiposity and hyperglycemia. Diabetes Care 2001;24:1454-9.

Determinants of obesity

Wedick NM, Snijder MB, Dekker JM, Heine RJ, Stehouwer CD, Nijpels G, van Dam RM. Prospective investigation of metabolic characteristics in relation to weight gain in older adults: the Hoorn Study. Obesity. 2009;17:1609-14.

Wu T, Gao X, Chen M, van Dam RM. Long-term effectiveness of diet-plus-exercise interventions vs. diet-only interventions for weight loss: a meta-analysis. Obes Rev. 2009;10:313-23.

van Dam RM, Seidell JC. Carbohydrate intake and obesity. Eur J Clin Nutr 2007;61 Suppl 1:S75-99.

van der Heijden AAWA, Hu FB, Rimm EB, van Dam RM. A prospective study of breakfast consumption and weight gain among U.S. men. Obesity 2007;15;2463-9.

Nicolaou M, van Dam RM, Stronks K. Acculturation and education level in relation to quality of the diet: a study of Surinamese South Asian and Afro-Caribbean residents of the Netherlands. J Hum Nutr Diet 2006;19:383-93.