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Centre for Obesity Research and Innovation (CORI)

CORI is organized as a regional research centre with a centralised leadership and a core research group at St Olav University Hospital. Prioritized research tasks that include the regional hospitals are mainly related to comprehensive longitudinal data repositories of long-term follow-up after bariatric surgery.

The Centre for Obesity Research and Innovation (CORI) at St. Olav University Hospital was established in 2005 as part of the Ministry of Health's directive to regional health authorities. The mandate was to develop treatment programs addressing overweight and obesity, marking a groundbreaking foray into the field of obesity treatment. The mission underscored the importance of research, innovation, and education.

Recognizing that obesity is a chronic disorder where prevention, treatment and follow-up occurrs in primary healthcare settings, CORI was tasked with engaging both regional hospitals and primary healthcare in educational programs and research initiatives. Structured as a regional research center, CORI operates with centralised leadership and houses a core research group at St. Olav University Hospital.

In 2014, CORI achieved certification from the European Association for the Study of Obesity (EASO) as a Centre of Obesity Management (COM). Right from its inception, CORI forged a robust integration with the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) and the Obesity Outpatient Clinic. Since 2015, these entities have coexisted in the same location, fostering collaboration, and advancing clinical research and patient involvement. Researchers at CORI hold part-time positions (10-50%), balancing their roles with clinical work or other research positions, primarily at NTNU.

The research agenda at CORI, particularly involving regional hospitals, focuses on creating comprehensive longitudinal data repositories for long-term follow-up after bariatric surgery. In the realm of primary healthcare, projects have primarily contributed to society through educational and co-creational networks, addressing the widespread lack of knowledge about obesity treatment and prevention. While these educational and developmental efforts have been somewhat under-documented scientifically, recent years have witnessed the emergence of various research projects, including those exploring health aspects among individuals with cognitive disabilities, the Healthy Life Centre studies, and investigations into children's participation and perspectives.

An informal yet robust collaboration with other regional obesity centers in Norway has facilitated joint efforts in several clinical trials, exemplifying CORI's commitment to advancing research and collaboration in the field of obesity management.

Here you will find an overview of all our publications.

Here you will find a list of everyone who works at CORI.

EDUCATION

MSc of Health Science, Obesity and Health
Researchers at CORI leads the course “Obesity and Health”, in the master’s program in Clinical Science at NTNU. The group is responsible for three subjects in the program that concerns specifically obesity: 1. "Obesity epidemiology, pathophysiology and health consequences" 2. "Obesity treatment I –Adults". 3. "Obesity treatment II - Children". It is also possible to take these subjects as continuing education courses for healthcare personnel as obesity is a poorly covered area in most health professional programmes.


Educational contributions in other study programmes

Our researchers actively contribute to the medical education at NTNU, taking on the role of Teaching Unit Leaders for the Metabolism curriculum within the medical study. Additionally, they engage in guest teaching responsibilities across various master's programs within the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences at NTNU, as well as at other esteemed institutions like Oslo Metropolitan University.


In-house teaching

Our researchers have through the years extensively been engaged as lecturers for in-house teaching in various clinics and at other healthcare institutions, providing updated research into their clinical fields.


Patient education

On bariatric surgery and oral health
Patients undergoing bariatric surgery at St Olavs Hospital undergo 45 minutes of education on the association between bariatric surgery and oral pathology. Central themes of the training are establishing preventive dental hygiene routines, drinking habits that are sustainable for the tooth enamel, available treatments for patients with dental anxiety, and encouraging to establish control routines with a dentist or dental hygienist before undergoing surgery.

In addition, we have developed a website going more in-depth into the issues (www.bar-oral.no), making this information also available to patients from other hospitals. The website has been fully translated into English, which contributes to the fact that 20 per cent of visits are from foreign IP addresses. The website is updated in line with new research.

The essence of the website/education has also been published in an information booklet so that patients also receive written information in parallel with the teaching. The booklet has been translated into Norwegian, English and Sami. We have prepared a print-ready PDF version of the brochure that can be downloaded from the website by other clinics that also wish to distribute it to their patients.

On bariatric surgery and addiction
Patients undergoing bariatric surgery at St. Olavs Hospital receive 45 minutes of education about the increased risk of alcohol problems and alcohol use disorders after surgery. The training focuses on mechanisms and preventive measures, such as how to maintain alcohol control competences and identify such problems at an early stage.

We have also developed an educational video on this topic which is shared with other hospitals.

 

TOOLS

Kostverktøyet
Kostverktoyet.no is a dietary tool made for families who have children with obesity as well as their healthcare professionals. The webpage was initiated by the Center of Obesity, in response to a need for better tools in conversations about overweight and obesity expressed by public health nurses. An interdisciplinary team, including stakeholders, clinical dietitians, public health nurses, physiotherapists, pediatricians, psychologists, and parents of children with obesity, have been involved in the development of the webpage.

Kostverktoyet.no contains quality-assured information about diet and overweight, in the context of sleep, activity, and mental health in children. Some of the main features of Kostverktoyet.no include conversations about childhood obesity, body image, and motivation for lifestyle changes in the family. The main tools include:

  • Fact sheets
  • Practical exercises
  • Illustrations
  • Recipes
  • Dietary plans
  • E-learning courses

The webpage was launched in 2014 and has now about 5000 visitors per month.


The Knowledge Bank on intellectual disabilities
Researchers at CORI (E Ersfjord, M Devle, T Plasil) contributed to the development of a resource webpage on Nutrition under naku.no (the Norwegian Competence Center on Intellectual Disabilities). Kunnskapsbanken/NAKU


INTERVIEWS/MEDIA COVERAGE/MEDIA REPORTS

Showing only a small selection of media coverages.

  • «Persons with developmental disabilities were socially isolated during the pandemic, Norwegian study finds». E Ersfjord, Phys.org 04.01.24
  • "Vanskelig for å sette seg inn i hvordan personer med fedme blir behandlet" Nidaros 13.08.2023 (I Følling)

  • Interview based on new report. “Bebuarar låst inne i leiligheitene sine under pandemien.» (E Ersfjord), no 01.12.2023

  • Interview about oral health in bariatric surgery patients in the member magazine of the Norwegian Dental Hygienists' Association. Tannstikka, 05/2023. (M Strømmen)

  • "I fritt fall etter vekttap" Adresseavisa07. 2023 (I Følling)

  • "Ny forskning tyder på at særlig ett grep kan bedre blodsukkerreguleringen og vektnedgangen" Dagbladet07 2022 (I Følling)

  • Commentary on the need for a psychologist in the interdisciplinary team that follows up patients after bariatric surgery. NRK nettsak, 28.10.2023. (J Sandvik)

  • Interview and coverage of the BAROBS2-project on national news. NRK TV/radio/internet. NRK, 22.9.2023. (J Sandvik)

  • Interview on national radio news on the need for improved patients education on increased risk for alcohol use disorders following bariatric surgery. Nyhetsmorgen, P2, NRK, 15.5.2023 (M Strømmen)

  • Video interview on web feature on the development of alcohol problems after bariatric surgery and the hospitals’ responsibility to inform patients. no, 15.5.2023. (M Strømmen)

  • "Ikke ett fett hvilken medisin du får". Agderposten02.23 (I Følling)

  • "Long-term follow-up from health services could be beneficial for reduction of diabetes risk". News Medical Life Sciences 2022 (I Følling)

  • "Langvarig oppfølging reduserer risikoen for diabetes". Gemini04. 2022 (I Følling)

  • "Diabetes type 2: Enkle grep, store endringer" Norsk Helseinformatikk [Fagblad] 19.04.2022 (I Følling)

  • "Follow-up Reduces Risk of Type 2 Diabetes" Health Management.org 12.04.2022 (I Følling)

  • Vi har en epidemi av type 2 diabetes. Dagbladet 17.08. 2021 (I Følling)

  • Mener tilbud om livsstilshjelp bør differensieres. Dagens Medisin08.2021 (I Følling)

  • «Store utfordringer med kosthold ved autisme.» E Ersfjord et al. no 05.12.21

  • Interview on bariatric surgery and quality of life. Local news NRK, 14.10.2019. (J Sandvik)

  • Interview and panel participation on the effect of physical exercise relative to diet modifications on live national debate programme. Debatten, NRK, 15.1.2019. (R Ødegård)

  • “Før måtte jeg sette hengelås på matskapet. Etter dette matkurset, slipper jeg det.» (E Ersfjord). Adresseavisa06.19

  • “Spiser man annerledes på bygda enn i byen?” E Ersfjord. Hitra-Frøya.no, 27.03.2019

  • «Tonny (38) blir spesialist i grov deig og sunne drinker.» E Ersfjord, no, 28.08.2019

  • «Slår et slag for kosthold og mosjon.» E Ersfjord, Høyda.no 120619

  • NRK Newton: A series of Youtube-videos on diet and nutrition for children (for example Er energidrikk farlig? (youtube.com) (B Kulseng, E Ersfjord), 2019
  • Interview and coverage of alcohol research project on popular science TV programme, NRK, Viten og vilje, 12.4.2018. (M Strømmen)

  • How heavy is your emotional baggage holdning you back?. NBC News 24.07. 2018 (I Følling)

  • Doktorgradsintervjuene som førte en helt ny vei. no 19.11. 2015 (I Følling)

  • Det enkle er ikke alltid det beste. Dagbladet Magasinet 03.10. 2015 (I Følling)

  • Psykiske plager er barrierer for å endre livsstil. Dagens Medisin07. 2015 (I Følling)

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    Last updated 3/1/2024