About Us
The BennettLab is based at Duke University in the Department of Psychology and in the Duke Global Health Institute. We are also affiliated with the Harvard School of Public Health and the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. Our work is primarily focused on developing strategies to prevent obesity in high risk populations. We conduct both observational (using both original and secondary data) and intervention studies.
Our Work
Our research program has three major themes:
- New media obesity interventions
- Social factors and disparities in obesity
- Disseminating evidence-based interventions
Most of our intervention research studies are based in the primary care setting, where efficacious obesity intervention approaches are particularly necessary. Our work is heavily invested in understanding and resolving disparities in obesity. Underlying all of our research is the goal of developing empirically supported solutions that can be used to reduce obesity in the US population.
Why Obesity?
Obesity remains at epidemic proportions in the U.S. In addition to its devastating economic and social impacts, obesity is a major risk factor for several leading chronic diseases, including cancer -- approximately 90,000 US cancer deaths each year could be prevented by reducing obesity. Our work is designed to identify strategies to help contend with the obesity epidemic by: 1) uncovering social and behavioral determinants of obesity in high risk populations, and; 2) developing innovative obesity intervention strategies.