Bahçeşehir University Hosts the "New Approaches in Medicine Conference"

The "New Approaches in Medicine Conference - 1," organized in partnership with the Bahçeşehir University School of Medicine, New York University (NYU) and the Bahçeşehir University Research Methods School (BAYO), brought together prominent scientists from the international community in Türkiye.

The conference, which approached health from a biological, psychological and social perspective, featured names such as Perry Halkitis from NYU, Theodore Walls from the University of Rhode Island, and Niyati Parekh and Danielle Ompad, also from NYU. At the conference, attended by many health workers, scientists, academics, police officers and school counselors, Dr. Parekh said, "In Türkiye, 48 percent of women and 46 percent of men face obesity. Obesity increases the risk of cancer and makes early diagnosis more difficult."

Pointing out that the number of people with obesity has been increasing steadily over the last twenty years, Parekh stated that this rate reaches up to 70 percent in the USA. Emphasizing that obesity is caused by nutrition, activity habits and stress, Parekh gave striking examples from a 2011 study by the American College of Sports Medicine. "According to research, we spend 15-16 hours a day sitting. While this increases the risk of death by 40 percent, it also accelerates the development of conditions such as sudden death, depression, hypertension and cancer," she said. Pointing out that many foods have become higher in calories than they were twenty years ago, Parekh said, "We have these foods delivered to our door at the touch of a button. People are happy to buy more calorie-rich food for less money. The most important thing is to increase education and access to healthy food." Emphasizing that hormonal changes that develop with obesity affect insulin resistance and thus increase cell proliferation, Parekh said, "On the other hand, cancer diagnosis can also be delayed due to hormonal effects. For example, prostate cancer can be diagnosed earlier in thin men than in overweight men."