School of Food Science & Nutrition,University of Leeds,Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS2 9JT,UK.
Proc Nutr Soc. 2019 Aug;78(3):259-261. doi: 10.1017/S0029665118002720.
Currently the world is facing an incredibly costly epidemic of obesity. Almost two-thirds of UK adults are either overweight or obese with estimated financial costs to the UK economy alone of £27 billion per year. While fundamentally obesity is a disorder of energy balance, several decades of research has demonstrated that maintaining energy balance is much more complex than the 'energy in equals energy out' equation that was once touted. The purpose of the 2018 Nutrition Society Summer Conference, 'Getting energy balance right' was to provide insight into the numerous factors influencing energy balance, considering varying needs across the lifespan, while highlighting advances and gaps in knowledge. Papers presented in this issue illustrate the wide range of factors involved in maintaining energy balance, including: epigenetics, the gut microbiome, physical activity and dietary factors including sugar. Given the complexity of energy balance, systems approaches were highlighted as useful for both understanding metabolism and pathophysiology, and for understanding how public health interventions to treat and prevent obesity should be implemented. The meeting concluded that numerous stakeholders, from individuals, to schools, industry and government, have roles to play in fostering a positive food environment that facilitates the maintenance of energy balance throughout the lifespan.
目前，全球正面临着一场极其昂贵的肥胖流行病。英国近三分之二的成年人超重或肥胖，仅英国经济每年为此承担的费用估计就达 270 亿英镑。尽管肥胖从根本上说是一种能量平衡失调的疾病，但几十年来的研究表明，维持能量平衡远比曾经推崇的“能量摄入等于能量消耗”这一简单公式复杂得多。2018 年营养学会夏季会议的主题是“正确把握能量平衡”，旨在深入了解影响能量平衡的诸多因素，考虑到生命全程中的不同需求，并强调在知识方面的进展和差距。本期特刊中的论文说明了维持能量平衡所涉及的广泛因素，包括：表观遗传学、肠道微生物群、体力活动以及包括糖在内的饮食因素。鉴于能量平衡的复杂性，会议强调系统方法对于理解代谢和病理生理学以及了解应该如何实施针对肥胖的公共卫生干预措施来进行治疗和预防非常有用。会议得出的结论是，从个人到学校、行业和政府等众多利益攸关方都需要发挥作用，营造一个积极的食物环境，促进整个生命周期的能量平衡。
