Fuel, Fertility, and the Future: The Science of What We Eat

High blood pressure (hypertension) during pregnancy is common and can lead to problems for both mum and baby, increasing the risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes as well as poorer health in later life. Recent studies have shown that certain beneficial bacteria in the mouth can help control blood pressure, and that what we eat can affect the bacteria we host in our bodies. Our current research is focused on understanding the link between diet, oral bacteria and maternal blood pressure in pregnancy, with the aim of reducing risk in hypertensive pregnant women.

Why have global obesity rates continued to increase since the 1970s, despite the introduction of multiple policies aimed at reversing this trend? They’ve been doing it wrong. Obesity policies have been reliant on individuals’ motivation to change and do little to help people fight against an increasingly unhealthy environment. This is an unfair fight too – people in wealthier areas have lower obesity rates in general and more resources to fight back. What about everyone else? I’ll be exploring health inequalities in obesity and how behavioural science could lead the way.

We all know a healthy lifestyle is a good idea for a long and healthy life. But did you know your parents' and even grandparents' health might have already had an impact on yours? Research shows that our health could be influenced by our parents even before conception, and what your grandparents ate might still be affecting you today. In this talk I will attempt to explore how diet and lifestyle choices, in both mum and dad, could be rippling through generations in an attempt to shed light on the connections between our ancestors' habits and our own health.