Save the Date: PhD Defence Dionne Sizoo

On June 13th, PhD candidate Dionne Sizoo will be defending her PhD on the topic of "Obesity and muscle: measurement methods and comorbidities". The ceremony will include a short talk for a lay audience, so all are welcome to join.

NB: The defence will also be broadcast through a livestream.

Ultrasound as a promising method to measure muscle mass in obsessives

Measuring body composition in obese people can be very difficult. However, Dionne Sizoo's research shows that this can be done accurately using ultrasound. This is a simple but accurate way to monitor weight loss in people with a BMI over 30 kg/m². Maintaining adequate muscle mass is considered a pillar to optimise weight loss strategies and reduce the occurrence of obesity-related ailments.

Obesity is a global health crisis and threatens to affect some 30 per cent of the world's population by 2030. It is not just about fitting into your jeans. Obesity brings with it serious health problems, such as diabetes and high blood pressure. The solution is weight loss, which start with lifestyle changes. However, there are other strategies as well. Medication offers hope to keep the weight off, and bariatric surgery (such as gastric bypass surgery) is the best option for significant and long-term weight loss.

However, the way we measure obesity may fall short. Body mass index (BMI) does not tell the whole story, as it does not distinguish muscle from fat. This is where body composition comes in, which goes deeper into the ratio of muscle to fat in the body. Still, finding accurate, accessible methods to measure muscle mass in people with

Dissertation: https://hdl.handle.net/(...)e8-a748-dc20993ed6fa