HFHL First Annual Symposium:
Critical Issues in Research and Public Policy

Thank you for joining us for our First Annual Symposium co-sponsored by the Minnesota Obesity Center.  The symposium took place on the university campus at Cowles auditorium (Hubert H Humphrey Center) on September 21, 2009.  Over 300 people were in attendance -- about 1/3 university faculty and staff and 1/3 students, mainly from the U of M Twin Cities, but also from 10 other universities. About 1/3 came in from outside the university, representing state and local public health and agriculture agencies, 6 public school districts, 3 health insurance companies, about 15 food companies, food commodity groups, farmers, master gardeners, food coops, chefs, health professionals, community organizations and non-profits, legislative staffers and legislators.

Nationally and internationally renowned speakers presented state-of-the art science on four highly controversial topics related to the effects of food consumption on human health: food processing, consumption of organic foods, high fructose corn syrup, and antibiotic use in animals.
Click on the links below to view many of the presentations.

 

WELCOME: Mindy S. Kurzer, Director Healthy Foods, Healthy Lives Institute
"Critical Issues in Research and Public Policy" VIDEO

KEYNOTE: Barry Popkin, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
"New dynamics of US and global shifts in diet and body compostion: The World is Fat" VIDEO

FOOD PROCESSING	ORGANIC AGRICULTURE
Eric Decker, UMass, Amherst VIDEO "The evolution of processed foods and opportunities for improving health" David Wallinga, IATP VIDEO "Effects of food processing on human health" Phillip Minerich, Hormel Foods Corp. VIDEO "Health benefits of processed foods"	Alyson Mitchell, UC Davis "Getting to the root of food quality: The influence of agriculture system practices on the nutrient density of organic foods" Carl Rosen, UMN Soil, Water & Climate Francisco Diez-Gonzalez, UMN FScN ** Join us Monday, November 23rd for a showing of these presentations followed by a discussion period facilitated by Jim Riddle, Coordinator of Organic Outreach for UMN
IMPACTS OF FRUCTOSE	ANTIBIOTIC USE IN ANIMALS
George Bray, Pennington Biomedical Research Center "Evidence relating soft drinks to obesity: it's a matter of fructose" James Rippe, Rippe Lifestyle Institute Howard Towle, UMN Biochemistry, Molecular Biology & Biophysics ** Join us in January (DTB) for a showing of these presentations followed by a discussion period facilitated by Doug Mashek, Assistant Professor, Dept of Food Science and Nutrition	Rebecca Irwin, Public Health Agency of Canada VIDEO "Animal use of Ceftiofur linked to the emergence of Resistant Salmonella Heidelberg in chickens and humans in Canada" Randall Singer, UMN Dept of Epidemiology VIDEO "Agricultural use of antibiotics: impacts on human and animal health" Satish Gupta, UMN Soil, Water & Climate VIDEO "Does antibiotic use in livestock affect human health?"

The morning of the symposium, MPR aired a brief interview by Lorna Benson with HFHL Director Mindy Kurzer.
** To read comments from Nicole de Beaufort, a Twin Cities food blogger, check out her recent post on The Ethicurean Blog.
** The MN Daily also posted a story: Symposium tackles obesity and food issues


The purpose of the symposium was to generate exciting discussions that can lead to consensus on the controversial topics and/or recommendations for research needed for their resolution. If you are interested in working with the Instutute on any of the key issues outlined in our first symposium, or if you have thoughts or suggestions regarding future topic areas, please send us an email!