Attending the 11th annual Sugar, Stress, Environment & Weight Symposium

In October 2017, UC Berkeley PHN students attended the annual Sugar, Stress, Environment & Weight Symposium (SSEW), presented by the UCSF Center for Obesity Assessment, Study and Treatment (COAST) and the UCLA School of Law Resnick Program for Food Law and Policy. The SSEW Initiative is a collaborative group of cross-UC Campus research scientists and California policy makers whose goal is to reduce the prevalence and adverse consequences of obesity and focus on the the role of social disadvantage, sugar, and stress.

The symposium brought together researchers, health professionals, and influential policy makers to discuss the latest research on the intersection of food insecurity, stress and obesity. Speakers included: Dr. Barbara Laraia, PhD, MPH and Erika Brown, MPH of UC Berkeley; Lorrene Ritchie, PhD, RD and Suzanna Martinez, PhD of the Nutrition Policy Institute; Kelly Brownell of Duke University; Cindy Leung, ScD, MPH of University of Michigan and UCSF; David Ludwig, MD, PhD of Harvard; Hilary Seligman, MD of UCSF; and many more! The students were able to learn and network with leading experts in the field.