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SSIB - Yup, that's right, it stands for Society for the Study of Ingestive Behaviour. And nope, we didn't sit around in restaurants studying each other's eating habits!
This is the second annual meeting I have attended. The first was in 2008 and at each I made a poster presentation on the principles of the DigestionReady programme. Each time my presentation has attracted quite some interest. One researcher told me his PhD student is reading all my papers!
One of the nicest things about the SSIB is that it is open to researchers from all disciplines. Anyone who is interested in eating and related disorders can come along and share ideas in a relaxed and convivial setting. I think because it is multidisciplinary there is no hint of the one-upmanship and frightened "publish or perish mentality" you sometimes find in academia. People were there because they are enthusiastic about what they do.
A highlight for me was meeting and having lunch, along with a few others, with a researcher who played an important role in my gaining a PhD. A highly respected grand old man in the field, he has published some 480 widely cited papers yet comes across as humble, friendly and genuine. A fine example of a scientist who clearly works for love of his discipline.
Many new ideas came up. Ghrelin, it seems, is not just the hunger hormone, it also regulates mood, motivation, metabolism and memory. Eating regulation may be determined not by how much fat we carry, but by our lean body mass. Very interesting. I can see I have many more papers to read and many fascinating lines of enquiry to follow up.
