Low carbs and toxic sugars – New speakers for our Metabolism, Diet and Disease conference

Does fructose contribute to metabolic disease? Luc Tappy from the University of Lausanne will join a distinguished list of speakers to talk about whether his studies supports the controversial hypothesis that sugar is toxic at the first BioMed Central conference on Metabolism, Diet and Disease in Washington DC on May 29-31 2012.

Looking at the flipside of the same vexed question, Jeff Volek from the University of Connecticut and Nutrition & Metabolism journal will present evidence of the effects of low-carbohydrate diets on metabolic syndrome.

In a world where the incidence of cancer, obesity, diabetes and related health problems are rapidly on the rise, Metabolism, Diet and Disease is a very timely event that is bringing together top-class scientists from various fields to examine the issues.

The committee and speakers are world leaders in their fields. Craig B. Thompson, President of Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC), heads the committee which also includes Michael S. Brown and Joseph L. Goldstein, who received the Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine in 1985 for their discoveries concerning the regulation of cholesterol metabolism. Speakers include Bruce Spiegelman, Harvard Medical School, who will divulge the latest on the hormone irisin and how it replicates the benefits of exercise, and Jeffrey Friedman, who was the joint recipient of the 2010 Albert Lasker Basic Medical Research Award for discoveries that led to the identification of leptin, the hormone that regulates appetite and body weight.

Speakers and discussants will consider how the latest research into these metabolic problems can integrate with nutritional and epidemiological knowledge to address the challenge of obesity to public health. The meeting will cover topics ranging from insulin resistance and fat metabolism through to ageing and new strategies for drug therapies.

Obesity is an important determinant of cancer risk. In addition to the scientific talks, a panel discussion will focus on the connection between cancer and obesity that has come to light in recent years and what we can do about it – both by understanding the link and by tackling obesity with scientifically informed strategies.

Take advantage of the early-bird registration rates that are currently available and secure your place at what promises to be a key event in the metabolism and nutrition calendar. For early bird rates, register and submit an abstract by 21 March 2012.

Penny Webb, Scientific Editor – Conferences

 

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