MRC Centre of Epidemiology for Child Health
- Home
- About Us
- People
- Research
- Cohort Studies
- Statistical Resources
- Impact & Achievements
- Education & Training
- Data Management
- Events
- News
How to find us
MRC Centre of Epidemiology for Child Health
UCL Institute of Child Health
30 Guilford Street
London, WC1N 1EH
Tel: +44 (0)20 7905 2362
Research quick links
- Congenital disorders
- Childhood origins of adult disease
- Electronic health records
- Genetic epidemiology
- Growth & development
- Health inequalities
- Infections
- Life course research
- Obesity, nutrition & physical activity
- Research for policy & practice
- Screening & surveillance
- Statistical methods
- Vision & eyes
Researchers working on obesity
Obesity, nutrition and physical activity
Obesity is a growing health problem in the UK. Childhood obesity has been linked to an increased risk of developing a number of chronic diseases in adulthood, including type 2 diabetes and heart disease. Understanding why children and adults become obese is key to finding ways to decrease these levels of obesity, which will help to improve public health and alleviate the strain that is being put on health services.
Our researchers are approaching childhood obesity from a number of different angles. We are investigating not only how environment, culture and socio-economic status influence the weight of our children, but how factors, such as the health of the mother or how an infant is fed and the rate at which they grow, play a role in their risk of becoming obese.
We are also conducting research into how obesity is linked with emotional and behavioural problems in children. Significant research is also being carried out on physical activity, not only in childhood, but throughout our lives, and how that influences our weight and our health.
Using a life course approach we have gained a better understanding of how obesity in childhood is linked to health problems later in life and how our growth and development during childhood influences the chance of becoming obese or overweight at adolescents as adults. A number of our studies into obesity have relied on data gathered in large cohort studies, specifically the 1958 Birth Cohort and the Millennium Cohort Study.
Current and recent research
- Measuring obesity in children
- What determines obesity in early childhood?
- How does parental BMI affect the BMI of their children?
- What determines how active or sedentary children are?
- Can physical activity avert the negative health impacts of obesity?
- Tackling childhood obesity at the local level
- Evaluating a family-based programme for dealing with obesity
- Vitamin D - how it affects our health
- Changes in BMI and how it affects our risk of developing type 2 diabetes
Page last modified on 14 nov 12 15:26
