Ian Caterson - Human Nutrition

Obesity, nutrition and exercise

The Institute of Obesity, Nutrition and Exercise (IONE) is committed to reducing the individual and societal impact of obesity and lifestyle-related chronic disease such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, cancer, mental illness and osteoarthritis. Important underlying factors are obesity, inappropriate nutrition and physical inactivity.

IONE is directed by Professor Caterson, who heads up a team of internationally renowned experts in the fields of basic, clinical, public health and health policy research. They include: Stephen Colagiuri, Louise Baur, Adrian Bauman, Jennie Brand-Miller, Maria Fiatarone Singh, Kate Steinbeck, Len Storlien and Tim Gill.

A crucial response to the multiple factors contributing to obesity and chronic disease is to promote sustainable lifestyles. IONE will do research on a number of strategies, including:

• Active transport: health and energy benefits, sympathetic urban design, behaviour change promotion, policy.
• Sustainable social structures: their role in promoting appropriate behaviour in relation to food and physical activity.
• Sustainable nutrition: ‘food miles’ from production to consumption, relative merits of food production and packaging systems.
• Preventative health care: sustaining a healthy labour force, reducing disease and maintaining quality of life in an ageing population.
• Factors affecting food security and affordable nutrition: including biofuels and non-food usage of grains.
  Impact of excess weight on resource usage.

IONE takes a broad approach to combating and preventing obesity and lifestyle-related chronic disease. Its researchers have expertise across the whole human life-cycle from pre-gestation to old age, as well as comprehensive experience in tackling the problems at all levels – from specialised clinics to public health systems.