Experts at Drexel University in nutrition science, psychology and public health are available to comment for news stories about America’s obesity epidemic and issues raised in the HBO documentary series, The Weight of the Nation.

Dr. Stella Volpe , a professor and chair of the Department of Nutrition Sciences in Drexel’s College of Nursing and Health Professions, is a nationally prominent expert in nutrition and exercise physiology. She is the Chair-Elect of the science board of the President’s Council on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition. Volpe performs research on obesity and diabetes prevention and is an accomplished speaker on topics including body composition and exercise and general nutrition and exercise principles to help individuals improve their lifestyles. Her expertise includes:

• Obesity prevention through lifestyle changes (diet and exercise)
• Obesity prevention through environmental changes
• Causes of obesity

Dr. Michael Lowe , a professor of psychology in Drexel’s College of Arts and Sciences, studies the psychobiology of eating and weight regulation, including dieting and preventing and treating obesity. His expertise includes:

• The role of the food environment in stimulating over-consumption and weight gain
• Food addiction and loss-of-control over-eating
• The effects of highly palatable foods on the brain
• Modifying home food environments to improve weight loss maintenance

Dr. Yvonne Michael , an associate professor in Drexel’s School of Public Health, was principal investigator of an NIH-funded study on neighborhood design and obesity in older women. Her expertise includes:

• The influence of neighborhood built environments on physical activity and walking
• Physical activity in the health of older adults