Hunter Medical Research Institute - August 2008

Childhood Obesity Research program

The Hunter Medical Research Institute (HMRI) is a joint venture between Hunter New England Health and the University of Newcastle in partnership with the Hunter community. HMRI was established in 1998 to capitalise on the region’s strategic advantages in health and medical research and biotechnology. It has grown to become one of the state’s leading health and medical research institutes and the third largest medical research institute in NSW.

Funds were sought to support two research programs in the area of Childhood Obesity, (1) Mothers and Babies Nutrition Research and (2) Overweight Children and their Parents Program. Both programs aim to address in their own ways the significant community issue of childhood obesity. The numbers of children and adults with obesity continues to increase both across Australia and within the Hunter and this issue is associated with serious health consequences, both short and long term and is a significant drain on the public health and welfare systems.