Department of Nutrition

Tag: Research

Weight gain in early to middle adulthood may increase major health risks and mortality

[Excerpted from Harvard Gazette] Cumulative weight gain over the course of early and middle adulthood may increase health risks later in life, according to a new study led by researchers from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. They found that compared with people who kept their weight stable, people who gained a moderate amount of weight (5 … Continue reading “Weight gain in early to middle adulthood may increase major health risks and mortality”

Improving diet quality over time linked with reduced risk of premature death

[Excerpted from Harvard Chan News] People who improve the quality of their diets over time, eating more whole grains, vegetables, fruits, nuts, and fish and less red and processed meats and sugary beverages, may significantly reduce their risk of premature death, according to a new study from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. It … Continue reading “Improving diet quality over time linked with reduced risk of premature death”

A whole-community approach to reduce childhood obesity shows promise

A large-scale effort to reduce childhood obesity in two low-income Massachusetts communities resulted in some modest improvements among schoolchildren over a relatively short period of time, suggesting that such a comprehensive approach holds promise for the future. The study, along with two others evaluating Massachusetts’ efforts to reduce childhood obesity, were published in the July 2017 issue of Obesity. Coverage: A … Continue reading “A whole-community approach to reduce childhood obesity shows promise”

Biking preferences in a lower income, primarily minority neighborhood

[Excerpted from Harvard Chan News] Blacks and Hispanics living in Roxbury, MA, a low-income Boston neighborhood, prefer riding on safe-from-traffic bicycle routes such as cycle tracks—rather than biking with traffic in roadways—and they want more secure places to park their bicycles to prevent theft, according to a new Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health … Continue reading “Biking preferences in a lower income, primarily minority neighborhood”

Award to create a microbiome biobank

[Excerpt from Harvard Chan News] BIOM-Mass, led by Eric Rimm, professor of epidemiology and nutrition and Wendy Garrett, professor of immunology and infectious diseases, will create the world’s most comprehensive human microbiome specimen collection, using samples from more than 25,000 individuals from the School-based Nurses’ Health Study II and other long-running cohort studies. The researchers … Continue reading “Award to create a microbiome biobank”

Poster Day 2017

The Department of Nutrition was well represented at the 3rd Annual Harvard Chan Poster Day, where students, postdocs, and research associates gathered to present and discuss their work. Presenters from the department included: Alyssa Moran, Sugar-Sweetened Beverage (SSB) Marketing During Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Benefit Issuance: Insight from Three New York Counties Amanda C. McClain, Food … Continue reading “Poster Day 2017”

Can diet prevent alzheimer’s and cognitive decline?

Dr. Frank Sacks, MD, Professor of Cardiovascular Disease Prevention, and his research team at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, have begun a 3-year landmark research study, in collaboration with researchers from Rush University Medical Center, in Chicago, to examine the effects of two weight loss diets on brain health and cognitive decline. … Continue reading “Can diet prevent alzheimer’s and cognitive decline?”