Diet, Obesity and Genes (DIOGENES) - Project website

The rapid growth in the prevalence of obesity and associated co-morbidities, in particular the rise in childhood obesity across Europe are major global health concerns. Susceptibility to obesity is determined largely by genetic factors but the current epidemic is significantly influenced by lifestyle factors. DiOGenes aims to contribute to a better understanding of the disease and its alleviation by dietary means by including all disciplines and stakeholders. To examine critically the dietary impact, an 8-country, long-term randomised, parallel dietary intervention study on whole families will take place. Food technology studies will seek to develop food combining high consumer liking/ preference with enhanced satiety signals to limit intake.

EU project tackles Europe's 'skyrocketing' obesity problem [Date: 2007-06-19]

'If we look at the prevalence of obesity in Europe we can see that compared to the United States where the phenomenon started in the 1980s, for the past ten years we see the figures of sufferers skyrocketing in Europe. This makes it a real medical problem which Europe has to tackle,' says Wim H.M. Saris, the coordinator of one of the largest and most ambitious projects into obesity.

The EU-funded DiOGenes (Diet, Obesity and Genes) project is studying the dietary, genetic, physiological and psychological factors behind the condition so as to try and turn the tide of obesity, which now affects 10% of Europe's population and accounts for around 5% of the continent's health budgets.

If the scientists agree that obesity is mostly determined by genetic factors, the current epidemic is also the result of lifestyle factors including a poor or inappropriate diet and too little exercise. For the partners in the project, given our genetic background, it is essentially unfeasible for humans to effectively regulate their food intake under present conditions.

The main focus of the project therefore will be to research the role of the carbohydrate and high dietary protein content in enhancing satiety, or the feeling of being full. A DNA bank of over 13,000 individuals will form the basis of initial studies, and further analyses will include a long-term dietary intervention study in eight European countries encompassing whole families with both obese and normal weight members.

This strand of the project will include two research supermarkets, in Copenhagen (Denmark) and Maastricht (the Netherlands), where families will 'shop' for food where the information is collected in a database to determine nutrient composition. In this way, the project will develop a method of predicting an individual's weight change in response to different dietary nutrients. In turn, this enables the researchers to define personalised diet-based treatments for the families.

Ultimately, the goal of the five-year project will be to develop innovative food products that consumers like and which contain the right ingredients to prompt their satiety signals, thus limiting their food intake.

The project is funded under the 'Food quality and safety' priority of the EU's Sixth framework Programme (FP6)

For more information, please visit the project website

Category: Projects
Data Source Provider: DiOGenes project information
Document Reference: Based on information from the DiOGenes project website
Programme or Service Acronym: MS-DK C, FP6-FOOD, FP6-INTEGRATING, FRAMEWORK 6C
Subject Index: Coordination, Cooperation; Food; Life Sciences; Medicine, Health; Scientific Research