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Institute of Human Nutrition marks 10th anniversary with conference

Published: 5 July 2005

The University of Southampton's Institute of Human Nutrition (IHN) celebrates its tenth anniversary this month with a major conference looking at key health and nutrition issues on Tuesday 12 July 2005.

The conference will have relevance to anyone with an interest in how nutrition can be used to make a difference to the health of individuals and society as a whole. A particular feature will be the interface between research and its application in the 'real world' to establish the evidence base for enhanced health in the future.

The anniversary conference, 'Human nutrition: the foundation for a healthy future', will show how cutting-edge research is used to train nutritionists, and other health professionals to solve nutrition-related problems in society, and how the complexities of research are effectively translated into the provision of clinical care and public health. Over 200 people are due to attend the conference which takes place at Southampton General Hospital and the programme includes speakers from the World Health Organisation, the NHS and the University.

The conference programme covers topical issues such as alleviating poverty and promoting health, and preventing obesity. There will also be a session on the Southampton Women's Survey (SWS), the largest study of women's health and lifestyle ever carried out in the UK, with the aim of learning more about the dietary and lifestyle factors that influence the health of women and their children. The SWS is one of the Institute's flagship research projects.

The Institute, established by the University in 1991, is an international centre of excellence in all aspects of nutrition, fostering a co-ordinated programme of research, education and training. Based in the School of Medicine, it serves as a focus for professionals in a wide range of academic, clinical and community roles.

This conference will showcase examples of good practice and learning and highlight the vision for the future. The overall research objective of IHN is to determine how biological, psychological or sociological constraints, together with the availability of food and nutrients, limit individuals' ability to function at their best. With a particular interest in nutritionally-related aspects of health and disease, the ambitions are to ensure that every child leaves school with the ability to accept responsibility for their own nutritional health, and that malnourished children and adults in the UK and across the world are treated appropriately and effectively.

Professor Alan Jackson, Director of the IHN and Professor of Human Nutrition at the University, comments: "Since its inception in 1991 the Institute has increased understanding of how the human body responds or adapts to protect health in the face of changes in the environment through its research. Our objective is to enable good health in people of all ages and the rapid return to health for those in whom any disease is affected by nutrition.

"It seems fitting that we are marking the Institute's tenth anniversary with a conference that will help provide professionals with the training and skills to have a direct impact on people's health and ensure that appropriate care is available to everyone," he says.

The conference programme is available at: http://www.som.soton.ac.uk/research/dohad/seminars/nutrition.htm

Related Staff Member

Notes for editors

  1. Professor Alan Jackson was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the Queen's Birthday Honours 2005. He was recognised for his services to public health and nutrition.
  2. The University of Southampton is a leading UK teaching and research institution with a global reputation for leading-edge research and scholarship. The University has around 20,000 students and nearly 5000 staff. Its annual turnover is in the region of £270 million.
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