Debunking myths about obesity, eating and dieting
Biology is a main focus of research and explanation for obesity as an epidemic in our obesogenic environment, the Western world. Therefore, we often think that people who develop obesity are the ones with the wrong genes, an overactive neural reward system, or disturbances in the physiological control of appetite. But does biology really always come first – what about the roles of psychology and your mind?
And there is more to discuss regarding nutrition and health. For instance, does your dieting success really depend on the type of diet and its nutrients? What does it take to actually achieve and sustain a healthier lifestyle? Professor Anne Roefs will provide the insights (lecture in Dutch).
About the speaker
Anne Roefs is professor of Psychology and Neuroscience of Abnormal eating at Maastricht University. She leads the ‘Psychology of Eating lab’, which consists of 20 researchers (www.eetonderzoek.nl). Her research aims at understanding cognitive and neural processes in (ab)normal eating behavior. She received the NWO VIDI grant (2016) for her project ‘Mindset matters: how mindset, body weight and dietary restraint influence neural representations of food’. In addition, professor Roefs is co-Principal Investigator in the NWO Gravitation consortium ‘New Science of Mental Disorders’. She has published 95 articles in international journals, which have been cited more than 5.500 times.
This lecture is part of traditional series of lectures for alumni: the UM Star Lectures. The other 13 lectures are organized in 13 different cities and 5 countries on the same day, at the same time. This event is organised to reach out to and inspire alumni, share academic insights, experiences and memories, and to create an interconnected UM Alumni Community.
Note
A photographer and/or social media reporter will be present during the UM Star Lecture. If you join this event, you agree with the publication of photos and videos via our communication channels (website, social media, newsletters, and so on). If you do not agree with this or if you have any questions, please e-mail us.