April 16, 2002 - New Orleans, La. - The rate of obesity in the United States has doubled, Type 2 diabetes has increased nine-fold, and heart disease remains the number one cause of death for Americans. Sixty percent of all Americans are at risk, including children.
A series of briefings examining the physiological and neurobiological nature of these diseases will be held during the 115th annual meeting of the American Physiological Society (APS), part of the "Experimental Biology 2002” conference. More than 14,000 researchers will attend the conference being held at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, New Orleans, La., from April 20-24, 2002.
APS president John E. Hall, Ph.D., has organized the briefings for the “Physiology in Focus” section of the meeting. The APS is one of the world’s most prestigious organizations for physiological scientists. Founded in 1887, the Society has more than 10,000 members and publishes 3,800 articles in its 14 peer-reviewed journals each year. Physiologists specialize in understanding the processes and functions underlying human health and disease.
The press is invited to attend a series of open-door briefings being led by some of the nation’s foremost experts on the following subjects:
Gene-Environment Interactions of Obesity
Neurobiology of Obesity
Endocrine/Metabolic Consequences of Obesity
Obesity and Cardiovascular Regulation
NEWSROOM OPENS SATURDAY, APRIL 20th @ 8:00 AM CDT
Contact: Donna Krupa @ 703-527-7357 (vm)
Or 703-967-2751 (cell) or djkrupa1@aol.com
Through April 19th, 2002
APS Newsroom: April 20-24, 2002
Morial Convention Center, New Orleans
Room: Level 2, Room B211
Telephone: 504-670-6534