International Project to Research Early Nutrition and Obesity    

An international consortium, led by the Ludwig-Maximilians at the University of Munich, has initiated a transnational research programme for prevention and intervention in pregnancy and early post natal life to tackle later obesity and associated disorders.

The EarlyNutrition project is joined by more than 60 scientists from 36 universities and research institutes in Europe, the USA and Australia. The key aim is to develop recommendations for optimal early nutrition that incorporate long-term health outcomes. This international consortium consists of some of Europe's leading investigators in the area and is joined by researchers working in the food industry as well as small and medium enterprises across and beyond Europe. The project is internationally coordinated by Professor Berthold Koletzko, Dr. von Haunerschen Children´s Hospital and Ludwig-Maximilians, at the University of Munich. The research group investigates early risk factors during pregnancy and early childhood that modulate the risk of obesity and related disorders in later life

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), overweight and obesity are the fifth leading risk for global deaths. Professor Berthold Koletzko adds: “Obesity overall and particularly in childhood has rapidly increased all over the world during the past three decades. There is an urgent need to develop and apply effective strategies of reversing this alarming trend.”