MRC Hot Topic workshop report: Reshaping the food environment – applying interdisciplinary perspectives in appetite research

Abstract

The prevalence of obesity, both worldwide and in the UK, continues to rise and has been classified by the NHS as a major public health issue with current public health survey data indicating that nearly two thirds of adults are living with overweight and obesity. We know from existing appetite research that it is easy to overconsume calories, but difficult to reduce calorie intake below requirements and we seek to expand this evidence base to seek future research themes to provide the evidence on how to manage obesity. This Medical Research Council (MRC)‐funded hot topic workshop explored issues that are evolving from current literature to create discussion about potential future collaborative research around 4 themes: (i) Food reformulation/innovation – how appetite research can influence sustainable and healthy diets, (ii) One diet does not fit all – how should we conduct appetite research to embrace inter‐individual differences (e.g. responder/non‐responders), (iii) Environmental drivers of obesity/food choices – bridging the gap between appetite research and obesity services – future research themes, (iv) Big data approaches to develop understanding of drivers of appetite and food choice. Appetite forms a bridge to understanding the interaction between the internal and external environments and therefore has both biological and behavioural relevance for behaviour change associated with eating. This report summarises how future research can embrace this multidisciplinary challenge.

First steps towards transforming nutrition and health research in the UK

“…Disturbingly, the prevalence of obesity, especially among children, increased during the COVID‐19 pandemic (Dyer, 2021). Recognising that over‐eating is influenced by the individual's food environment, Johnstone and Brown (2021) designed their Hot Topic Workshop to explore how the food environment might be re‐shaped by applying interdisciplinary perspectives in appetite research. In addition to set piece lectures and open discussions in breakout rooms (greatly facilitated by the now familiar online platforms), this workshop innovated by including a pre‐recorded debate on the topic ‘Does Precision Nutrition offer a future for individualised appetite control?’.…”