Dear DOCTOR Owen:

I am an undergraduate student, studying zoology. I have considered going to medical school, but would really like to study obesity and obesity-related diseases. My entire family is very overweight. I am interested in the factors that have influenced our tendency for weight gain. Do you have any information on obesity research programs?

Sherlock Holmes

Dear “Sherlock”:

Fortunately, you can find graduate research positions all over the world. The good news for your family is that the scientific and medical communities have come together to pool ideas and talents in the quest to cure obesity-related diseases. Since they cover the most complex and diverse set of conditions in science, you may choose almost any area of interest, as I will outline below.

In 1993 the North American Association for the Study of Obesity (NAASO) was established—the brainchild of many people. One of them was Dr. George Bray, NAASO’s first president and founder of the research journal Obesity Research. Dr. Bray recently retired as director of the Pennington Biomedical Research Institute in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Pennington is now a branch of Louisiana State University, my alma mater. Considered the largest single nutritional research center in the world, Pennington was started by a grant from Mr. “Doc” Pennington, who donated $240 million to build and start the center. To date, this is the single largest grant ever given to a single institution—anywhere!

It may have been Mr. Pennington’s grant that motivated Dr. Bray and his associates to organize themselves. NAASO now has 1,200 members, including some international scientists. Members must be elected only after they have contributed to the scientific or clinical obesity field. I am proud to be the only elected member (as of this writing) from the state of Mississippi (my primary office). Indeed, it is a very sad fact, though, that there aren’t more of us from Mississippi.

Another sad fact is the Pennington budget, which is about $12 million/year. Compare this to one famous Mexican fast food chain that annually spends more than $300 million on advertising alone. And that is only one of scores of fast food places that want you to spend your money there. Then there are the hundreds of non-scientific “treatments” to help people lose that fast food fat and its accompanying illnesses. You can clearly see where the priorities in our culture lie.

NAASO coordinates with the International Congress and the European Congress of Obesity, and holds a joint meeting every four years.

The International Congress of Obesity journal is an excellent source for research positions and  other information. Many developing countries are just realizing the emerging health problems created by obesity, which, interestingly, are more common among the poor.

As I have said many times, treating weight loss and maintenance with diet and exercise protocols have presented me with the greatest challenges I’ve ever experienced in my career—including treatment of intensive care and cancer patients. NAASO’s studies in obesity are divided into the following categories:

Needless to say, in answer to what you ask in your letter: Pursue any direction of biological science and you will never be far from a direct contribution to the obesity research field.

Fortunately, in my career, I have developed many interests and skills. I find uses for all of these skills on a daily basis when helping patients.

Early-on in my career, I discovered that such seemingly remote issues as finance and spirituality often wend their way into the path of treating individuals. For example, the opportunity to motivate may be spiritual. The ability to treat could have financial limitations. While neither spirituality nor finance is related directly to science, both are vital to successful treatment. Therefore, my advice to you is: “Do not place limitations on your dreams. Look at every event as a moment of learning and teaching. Teach as you learn: Learning is a gift; teaching, a skill. To help others, you must be a teacher.”