Nestle, GE to collaborate on body composition, health research
LAUSANNE, Switzerland The Nestle Research Center here and GE Global Research on Wednesday announced a collaboration to scientifically assess associations between body composition, metabolic status, diet and lifestyle habits. A primary goal of the collaboration is to gain a deeper understanding of the connection between body composition, metabolic profile and health.
GE Healthcare’s Lunar iDXA system, an imaging technology, will be used by Nestle scientists to measure subjects’ body fat, muscle and bone mineral density, extending beyond the measures of body mass index and waist-hip-ratio. Researchers will study the correlations between lifestyle habits, body composition measurements and metabolic data to better understand the biological drivers of individuals’ metabolism and health.
“Through this collaboration with GE we have the opportunity to use cutting-edge diagnostic tools to increase our understanding of how nutrition and lifestyle choices impact body composition and metabolic health,” stated Peter van Bladeren, head of Nestle Science and Research. “With this knowledge, Nestle can continue to deliver science-based nutritional products to improve and enhance the quality of peoples’ lives.”
The results will provide direction for the development of non-invasive, rapid, precise and accurate assessment tools for clinicians to evaluate the impact of nutritional interventions on metabolic status and overall health. Additionally, this data will help researchers identify specific metabolic parameters that can potentially be improved via diet and lifestyle.
“In the face of a worldwide obesity epidemic, providing better tools to track the functional benefits of weight management, nutrition and lifestyle has become an international healthcare priority,” added Mark Little, senior vice president and director, GE Global Research. “The use of GE’s diagnostic tools will provide Nestle scientists with more information on how diet and lifestyle measures can be optimized to help people lead healthier lives and ultimately make healthcare systems more efficient by more effectively managing and treating obesity.”