TÜBA Food and Nutrition Study Group Has Been Established
Taking into account the significance of food and nutrition in terms of public health, the ‘TÜBA Food and Nutrition Study Group’ established within the capacity of TÜBA is comprised of TÜBA members known for their scientific work and other scientists and experts who are not TÜBA members.
In the group for which TÜBA Principle Member and Fırat University Teaching Staff Member Prof. Dr. Kazım Şahin has undertaken the task of execution, is made up of TÜBA Principle Member and Erciyes University Rector Prof. Dr. Fahrettin Keleştemur, TÜBA Principle Member and Süleyman Demirel University Teaching Staff Member Prof. Dr. Fatih Gültekin, Hacettepe University Teaching Staff Member Prof. Dr. H. Tanju Besler, Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Livestock Control General Manager Prof. Dr. İrfan Erol and İstanbul University Teaching Staff Member Prof. Dr. Ali Aydın.
“Our objective is to contribute as TÜBA to a ‘healthier community that gets sufficient/balanced nutrition’.”
TÜBA Chairman Prof. Dr. Ahmet Cevat Acar said in his statement on the subject; “Spreading scientific information and approaches and providing science based consultation are among the main functions of TÜBA. The TÜBA Study Groups are active in important, priority and new subjects to carry out this function of the academy. We are forming new groups in different subjects like food and nutrition, genomes, science and education in addition to the existing groups for cancer and stem cells. “Food and nutrition” is important at a macro and micro level both globally and in our country and is a subject with high priority. We formed the Food and Nutrition Study Group with this reality in mind”.
Chairman Acar continued, “Our Food and Nutrition Study Group, which we have formed with select scientists concerned with this issue, will carry out scientific activities with the contributions and participation of relevant stakeholders, for the community, the relevant public and policy-makers. In this context, as TÜBA, we will organize an international workshop in cooperation with the Association of Academies and Societies of Sciences in Asia-AASSA on the subject of “Sustainable Food Safety” in the month of April. Also our TÜBA Cancer and Food and Nutrition Study Groups will hold a meeting on “Food, Nutrition and Cancer Prevention” in May. The activities of our study group will continue both on a national and international scale” and added that TÜBA aims to contribute to a ‘healthier community that gets sufficient/balanced nutrition’ with the work that is done by the food and nutrition study group.
The community is not sufficiently informed about sufficient and balanced nutrition, which is the foundation of good health
In the statement made by the Group Executive and TÜBA Principle Member Prof. Dr. Kazım Şahin, he said “The science of nutrition, which has a multidisciplinary approach, studies the human-nutrient relations in all stages from the production to consumption of products and to organisms benefitting from the nutrients. Nutrition can be defined as behavior that must be carried out in a conscientious manner to consume nutrients in sufficient amounts at the proper times to protect human and animal health, to develop and to improve the quality of life. How much of each of these nutrients needs to be consumed daily in order for the organism to grow healthy and develop and to live a long and productive life has been determined. Whenever any of these elements is consumed more or less than the requirement growth and development is hindered which also deteriorates health. For example if too many nutrients are consumed some of the excess matter is stored in the body as fat and causes chronic diseases. The public in our country is not sufficiently informed about sufficient and balanced nutrition and the research on this subject is limited.
A food and nutrition awareness at international standards will be created
The Food and Nutrition Study Group has been established under the Turkish Academy of Sciences to instill awareness about sufficient and balanced nutrition within the framework of international standards, to determine the state of nutrition in the community and to determine and assess the problems and priorities, to protect animal and human health, to cure diseases and inform the public, to cooperate with national and international universities, public and nongovernmental organizations and relevant institutions and organizations, to encourage the preparation of effective research projects, to organize educational activities and issue publications”
Prof. Dr. Şahin pointed out that the Food and Nutrition Study Group has undertaken an important task and added “Contributing to the community’s development of sufficient and balanced nutrition awareness within the framework of international standards and encouraging healthy food, nutrition and lifestyles, contributing to the cooperation between universities, public and nongovernmental organizations and other relevant institutions and organizations in the field of scientific research on food and nutrition, following scientific studies, regulations and applications on a national and international scale to contribute to the public’s access to correct and reliable information on health nutrition and foods, following the national and international developments on food and nutrition to provide coordination, making recommendations to create the man power infrastructure necessary to establish sufficient and balanced nutrition awareness in the community, providing consultation to national and international organizations and projects on the subject of food and nutrition, determining the country’s food and nutrition plan and policies and contributing to guiding in this direction, organizing symposiums, conferences, etc. on food and balanced nutrition, providing training on nutrition, organizing workshops on metabolic disorders like obesity, diabetes and hardened arteries, contributing to all educational activities about food and nutrition research through books, brochures, media and the internet are among some of the important tasks of the group”.