Dr Susan Jebb
MRC Human Nutrition Research, Medical Research Council
University of Cambridge
Cambridge, UK
Project title
Dietary determinants of fat mass in adolescents. (2008/31)
Scientific abstract
Obesity is a key modifiable risk factor for the development of cancer, and diet is an important factor in the aetiology of obesity. Results using data from a small sub-sample of the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC) have previously shown that at 5 and 7 years a dietary pattern characterised by energy dense, high fat, low fibre foods, is associated with a significantly increased risk of excess adiposity at 9 years.
The current study will further examine this relationship among the whole ALSPAC cohort (approx. 7000 children) aged 10 and 13 years in relation to weight status at 15 years. The study will identify a dietary pattern characterised by energy dense foods, high in fat and low in fibre in adolescents aged 10 and 13 years and investigate how the dietary pattern at ages 10 and 13 years are associated with fat mass and increased risk of excess adiposity at the age of 15 years. It is hypothesised that the strength of the relationship will increase with age as the relative importance of external factors over innate appetite control mechanisms increases. Additionally the study will assess the tracking of key dietary variables from childhood through adolescence, to identify early determinants of risk and identify critical periods for the setting of obesogenic dietary habits to inform prevention strategies.
Project plain language abstract
Obesity is the second most important, modifiable, risk factor for cancer, after smoking. Dietary habits are a critical determinant of pattern of growth and development and it is important to identify specific dietary factors related to weight gain to develop public health strategies to prevent obesity. Using data from about 600 children in the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC) we have identified a dietary pattern among 5 and 7 year old children, which is strongly related to the chance of being obese at age 9. In this study we will further examine how dietary patterns are related to obesity in the whole ALSPAC group (approximately 7000 children) at 10 and 13 years in relation to their weight status at 15 years. We will test whether these specific dietary habits, which increase the risk of overeating, become more important with age as the biological systems controlling eating are increasingly overridden. Finally we will consider how the intake of central foods change with age to identify critical times to intervene.
| Institution and location | Degree | Year | Scientific Field |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Surrey, UK | 1st class BSc | 1986 | Nutrition |
| University of Surrey, UK | State registration with credit | 1986 | Dietetics |
| Darwin College, University of Cambridge, UK | PhD | 1990 | Measurement of body composition in man |
| MRC Dunn Nutrition Unit, Cambridge, UK | MRC Post doctoral training fellowship | 1990-1992 | Clinical Nutrition |
| MRC Dunn Nutrition Unit, Cambridge, UK | MRC Post doctoral scientist | 1992-1996 | Clinical Nutrition |
| MRC Dunn Nutrition Unit, Cambridge, UK | MRC Post doctoral scientist | 1996-1999 | Energy Metabolism |
| 1999–present | Head of Nutrition & Health |
| 1996–1999 | MRC Post-doctoral scientist |
| 1992–1996 | MRC Post-doctoral scientist |
Research interests
Dietary links between obesity and metabolic disease.
