Biocultural Transmissions of Obesity across Generations in the Digital Era

OBICODE aims to significantly improve the research performance of the University of Coimbra (Portugal) by implementing a robust interdisciplinary research line in the field of Anthropology.

It will do so under the leadership of one of the most respected and highly cited researchers in the field, Professor Stanley Ulijaszek, Emeritus Professor at the University of Oxford (#1 in Anthropology, QS ranking) and Director of the Biocultural Variation and Obesity Unit (UBVO).OBICODE will use the holism principle of Anthropology to develop and test an integration model of the social origins of obesity within and across generations, under the influence of the digital ecosystem, including web 2.0, and translate it into policy and intervention messages.

Other objectives include: a) implement a Doctoral Programme on Integrative Models of Obesity; b) establish a Life course Obesity Observatory and c) reinforce citizens' scientific and health literacy under a new contemporary societal framework of Anthropology, encompassing an integrative and biocultural perspective of obesity.OBICODE will promote an institutional reform that aligns the University of Coimbra with cutting-edge anthropological research provided by Anthropology Departments/Centres in non-widening European countries.

To achieve this goal, the institutional reform under OBICODE will focus on: 1) attracting talents in the area of Anthropology; 2) improving research and education, by providing top notch training in an area that is central for resolving complex societal challenges such as obesity; and 3) bringing these scientific outputs to society.

Overall, the scope of this action extends to the whole system: academia, target users (e.g., students), and the wider community, including policy and intervention.

A team of prestigious and influential Anthropologists will advise on the different steps of the project, providing also a clear view for the future of Obesity studies.