Dr Giles Yeo
Is Obesity a Choice?

Dr Giles Yeo
Principal research associate, MRC Institute of Metabolic Science, author, BBC presenter
What can people expect from your talk?
I will chart the story about how studying rare diseases of obesity has given us new insight into normal variations of body weight. Why are some people small, medium or large? Our knowledge stems from, largely, the study of rare diseases. I want to convince people that by us understanding a rare condition there is a benefit to broader society. It’s about showing people and policy makers why it’s worth supporting research into rare disease.
Bio:
Dr Giles Yeo works at the University of Cambridge, studying the genetics of obesity and the mechanisms of how our brain controls food intake. He is also a passionate science communicator and BBC commentator, recently awarded an MBE for his science engagement and research. While interested in the general population, Giles says information garnered from studying rare disease patients with severe obesity helps understand the biology which has a broader impact on society and everyone else.’ He is an acclaimed author and has written a book called Gene Eating .
Click to visit Giles’ webpage. Click to read our interview with Giles here.