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Albert
J. Stunkard, M.D.
Department of Psychiatry
Weight and Eating Disorders Program
3600 Market Street, Room 734
Philadelphia, PA 19104-2648
(215) 898-7314 FAX: (215) 898-2878
email: stunkard@mail.med.upenn.edu
Click here for selected publications since Dr. Stunkard's arrival at Penn
RESEARCH INTERESTS
Genetic, psychological, therapeutic and developmental studies of human obesity
and eating disorders RESEARCH TECHNIQUES
Survey research; behavioral analysis; genetic epidemiology; metabolic assessment; developmental assessment; clinical trialsRESEARCH SUMMARY
Research interests involve obesity and a newly defined eating disorder, the night eating syndrome. The night syndrome is characterized by behavioral assessments of eating and sleeping behavior as well as mood fluctuations throughout the 24 hours. Sleep studies have shown a distinctive pattern of sleep disturbance and genetic studies have found that 1/3 of persons with the night eating syndrome have at least one first-degree relative suffering from the disorder.A study of growth and development of the offspring of either obese or lean mothers is now in its 10th year. Subjects have been studied since 3 months of age and 72 of the original 78 are still enrolled. Important findings have been the presence of a lagged correlation relating food intake to body weight during the first year of life, the importance of sucking behavior at 3 months in predicting body weight and adiposity 5 years later and the importance of rate of food intake in determining adiposity in subjects at high risk of obesity.
Other studies involve a very successful program of weight reduction and
a continuation of a genetic study of obesity in the Old Order Amish.
KEY WORDS:
Obesity; eating disorders; growth and development; genetics; metabolism in obesity; binge eating disorder; night eating syndrome
