Extreme morphology and metabolic health
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Establishing the metabolic and nutritional requirements of individuals with extreme body morphology
IRAS ID
321662
Contact name
James Betts
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Bath
Duration of Study in the UK
12 years, 5 months, 28 days
Research summary
We are investigating the metabolism of individuals with extreme body size, including those with skeletal dysplasia (commonly known as dwarfism), to manage health risks such as heart disease. By better understanding how body size could change how the body processes food, or how being bigger or smaller may influence eating habits, we will be able to better inform healthy living guidelines to tackle issues such as obesity and overweight in these populations. With help from our psychology department, we will also be able to investigate whether the mental health of these individuals has been affected by their size. A final component of our analysis will be the efficiency of movement for these individuals, with the help of our biomechanics department. On the whole, this study will involve one 24-hour visit to a research laboratory at the University of Bath, followed by a 2-week monitoring period to capture 'normal' physical activity and eating routines. This project will form part of a Doctoral Thesis for Lucy Merrell.
REC name
South West - Central Bristol Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
23/SW/0035
Date of REC Opinion
26 Apr 2023
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion