2015 Nutrition and Healthy Lifestyle Summit

For a healthier future, eating habits must change!

The Sabri Ülker Foundation hosted world-renowned scientists at the 3^rd Nutrition and Healthy Lifestyles Summit.

This year, the Third Nutrition and Healthy Lifestyles Summit in Istanbul hosted world-renowned scientists, addressing, “The past, present and future of nutrition: Change in nutritional habits for a healthier society.”

The following academics shared the findings of their recent studies with the Turkish public: Prof. Walter Willett, Head of the Nutrition Department at Harvard University, and writer of the famous bestseller, “Eat, Drink, and Be Healthy: The Harvard Medical School Guide to Healthy Eating (2001);” Prof. Barbara Rolls, the author of “The Volumetrics Eating Plan (2005);” Prof. Monique Raats, who discussed the psychological factors underlying nutrition for the elderly; and Prof. Adam Drewnowski, who examined nutrition economics and the links between income, health, and food.

Assoc. Prof. Cesarettin Alaşalvar received the Second Sabri Ülker Science Award, which was opened to international participation this year. For the very first time, a heart-friendly product has been created using plant sterols. The project, titled “Instant Tea, Decaffeinated Instant Tea, and Functional Instant Tea,” won a 100,000 Turkish lira award.

According to the World Health Organization data, the rise in chronic diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, respiratory system diseases, and cancer account for 59 percent of 57 million deaths throughout the world. The way to a solution essentially lies in changing the inadequate and imbalanced nutrition and a sedentary lifestyle, considered as the main causes of these diseases.

In view of this data, the Sabri Ülker Food Research Foundation set the theme of the third Nutrition and Healthy Lifestyle Summit as “The past, present and future of nutrition: Change in nutritional habits for a healthier society” held at Istanbul Raffles Hotel on Thursday, May 7, 2015.

The event aimed to clarify misconceptions in the science of nutrition and encourage a healthy lifestyle, and provided a major platform for experts to inform the public.

More vegetables and nuts!

Among the prominent speakers of this year’s summit was Prof. Walter Willett, Head of the Nutrition Department at Harvard University, and writer of the famous bestseller, “Eat, Drink, and Be Healthy: The Harvard Medical School Guide to Healthy Eating (2001)." Prof. Willett, one of the five most frequently quoted nutritional scientists in the world, explained the way to healthy habits at the conference. He pointed out that it is necessary to obtain the majority of dietary calories through a balanced diet of whole grains and vegetable oils. “However, for the past 25 years, the focus of nutritional advice has been on decreasing total fat intake. This is inconsistent with the evidence, which indicates unsaturated fats have beneficial metabolic effects and reduce the risk of coronary heart disease.”

Prof. Willett answered questions from Prof. Gökhan Hotamışlıgil, Chair of the Department of Genetics and Complex Diseases at Harvard University and Director of the Sabri Ülker Center, and stressed the need to take in proteins from nuts, beans, fish, and poultry. He also emphasized that eating plenty of fruit and vegetables helps reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases as well as diabetes.

Prof. Willett answered questions from Prof. Gökhan Hotamışlıgil, Chair of the Department of Genetics and Complex Diseases at Harvard University and Director of the Sabri Ülker Center, and stressed the need to take in proteins from nuts, beans, fish, and poultry. He also emphasized that eating plenty of fruit and vegetables helps reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases as well as diabetes.

To prevent obesity, nutrition education must begin at an early age

Prof. Barbara Rolls, from Pennsylvania State University and the author of “The Volumetrics Eating Plan (2005)” spoke about the importance of education from an early age in preventing obesity. Professor Rolls gave information on strategies to help children embrace balanced eating habits, and highlighted the relationship between nutritional value and portion size in the Volumetrics Eating Plan she has developed.

Prof. Monique Raats, Director of the Food, Consumer Behaviour and Health Research Centre at the University of Surrey, spoke about nutrition after middle age. Prof. Adam Drewnowski, Director of the Center for Public Health Nutrition at the School of Public Health at Washington University, offered advice for governments, foundations, and the industry as a whole regarding nutrition and the income inequality.

Sabri Ülker Science Award Winner

The Sabri Ülker Science Award, which was organized for the second consecutive year in line with one of the main missions of the Sabri Ülker Food Research Foundation’s to provide support for research and education and which was internationalized this year, was granted to its winner.

Project Leader Assoc. Prof. Cesarettin Alaşalvar, received his award from the Chairman of Sabri Ülker Food Research Foundation Oltan Sungurlu, and was accompanied by his teammates Prof. Asım Ören, Dr. Ayşe Karadağ, Ebru Pelvan and Ferruh Naki Adoğlu. Alaşalvar won the 100,000-Turkish lira award for his project applicable in the field of functional foods.