Renowned Obesity Expert and Author of Â??the Step Diet Book’ Talks April 8 on How to Fix America’s Obesity Problem

Renowned obesity expert and co-author of "The Step Diet Book," Dr. James Hill, will address the question, "How did America get fat and how do we change it now?" at Colorado State University’s 2005 Mary Scott Lecture Series. The free public lecture will be held from 7-8:30 p.m. April 8 at the Fort Collins Marriot. Seating is limited, and those interested in attending are encouraged to arrive early.

Hill is a professor of pediatrics and medicine at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center. He also serves as the director of the Center for Human Nutrition funded by the National Institutes of Health. He has served on numerous government panels, including the NIH Taskforce on the Prevention and Treatment of Obesity. In 1997, he served as chair of the World Health Organization Consultation on Obesity. He is the current regional vice president of the International Association for the Study of Obesity.

"Obesity is a major health problem in the United States and is a growing problem in our state. The adult obesity rate in Colorado has doubled in the past 10 years. We are delighted to feature one the world’s leading experts, Dr. Hill, as our keynote speaker to open the Mary Scott Conference, ‘The Obesity Epidemic: Etiology, Prevention and Treatment’ on Friday night," said Gay Israel, conference planning committee chair and head of the Department of Health and Exercise Science at Colorado State.

Hill has spent 25 years figuring out why people become overweight, how people best lose weight and how successful dieters keep their weight off. Hill’s research has shown that losing weight is not about counting carbohydrates or calories, it is all about counting steps. The heart of the step diet, the first weight-loss program based on science and long-term success, is the concept of energy balance: If you consume more calories than you burn, you gain weight; the reverse is also true.

Hill has published more than 200 scientific articles and book chapters on the subject of obesity. His research in the obesity field involves the study of lifestyle factors that affect body weight regulation.  

Hill is co-founder of America on the Move, a national weight gain prevention initiative that aims to inspire Americans to make small changes in how much they eat and how much they move to prevent weight gain. He also established The Colorado Weigh, a behavioral weight-management program offered to the public.

The Colorado State University Bookstore will host a book signing of Hill’s "The Diet Step Book" following the lecture.

The Mary Scott Lecture Series at Colorado State is made possible by a charitable trust endowed by Mary E. Scott to the College of Applied Human Sciences upon her death in 1984. Throughout her career as a social worker and YMCA administrator, she was committed to advancing the lives of individuals and families.

Gold sponsors of the event include Colorado State University College of Applied Human Sciences, Department of Health and Exercise Science and the Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition; Poudre Valley Health System; Heart Center of the Rockies; and Northern Colorado Surgical Associates. Silver sponsors include The Obesity Prevention Task Force, Poudre Valley Internists, Health District of Northern Larimer County and Healthy Inspirations.

For more information on the Hill’s lecture and the 2005 Mary Scott Lecture Series, contact Maggie Graham at (970) 491-1936 or mgraham@cahs.colostate.edu or visit www.cahs.colostate.edu/Events/ObesityConference.aspx.

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