In this episode we discuss obesity. The US is currently experiencing an epidemic of obesity, with over 40% of Americans grappling with this problem. But what is driving this obesity epidemic? Is it our Western Diet? Our sedentary lifestyles? Can obesity even be prevented or is it simply a matter of genetics? Can we overcome obesity? What has actually been shown to work? Diet? Exercise? Medications? And to what extent is obesity an expected outcome of the onslaught of food marketing vying for our attention every day from print, TV, and, of course, social media? In order to answer these questions and many more, we turned to a true expert.
Travis Masterson, PhD
Dr. Travis Masterson is the director of the Health, Ingestive Behavior, and Technology Lab (HIT Lab) at Penn State University where he is an Assistant Professor in the Nutrition department. Dr. Masterson earned his Bachelors and Masters Degrees in exercise science from Brigham Young University and then completed his PhD in Nutritional Sciences at Penn State University. He then served as a research fellow at Dartmouth University before returning to Penn State where his research focuses on environmental food cues and their effect on eating behavior. Dr. Masterson has written over 40 scientific manuscripts. He is also a spokesperson for the Obesity Society.