Grant: Training Grant

Despite the increasing prevalence of obesity and the detrimental impact of this condition on health and health costs, there is as yet no consensus on either a mechanism or a cure for adult and childhood obesity. It appears therefore urgent to intensify the research effort to better understand the complications, etiology and treatment/prevention of obesity in an integrative approach. To achieve this objective, there is an urgent need for scientists specifically devoted to obesity research. There is an evident lack of such researchers in Canada and it has become imperative that we develop programs to train highly qualified personnel in the field of obesity. In addition, the exponential increase in knowledge pertaining to the basic, clinical and social aspects of obesity calls for the development of tools devoted to helping health professionals have rapid access to cutting-edge information. The GLOBAL OBJECTIVE of this proposal is to consolidate, develop and implement distinctive and efficient training initiatives in order to expand the capacity of the Canadian health research community to confront the problem of obesity in Canada and throughout the world. We intend to provide the next generation of scientific leaders with the knowledge, skills, ethics and motivation required to tackle the major public health threat that constitutes excess body weight.