dedicated four years of a mathematics PhD to studying the distant (1.5×10^8m away to be precise) mass we refer to as ‘The Sun’, desperately trying to make or simulate complicated measurements that my peers wouldn’t instantly disbelieve. Nevertheless, I felt an urge to study a subject somewhat closer to my home. Maybe one that might have an impact on my own environment, where I live and thrive, my family, or even the local shopkeeper’s. Basically anything where I didn’t have to show patience for the next ten billion years to see an effect.

The main topic of interest within SOPHIA’s WP3 is to assess the risk factors involved in obesity.  However, obesity itself is a well-known risk factor of other diseases. For example, obesity has been considered a long-term risk factor for chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease and diabetes; on the other hand, obesity is considered a risk factor for acute diseases as well.

Congratulations to Work Package 7 working group for publishing some of their research work carried out as part of SOPHIA. The research highlights the lived experiences of people living with obesity during the COVID-19 pandemic. It highlights the challenge sustaining treatment and psychosocial impact during these unprecedented times.

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused many events around the world to be cancelled or postponed and SOPHIA also had its share. SOPHIA’s Kick-Off meeting was originally planned to take place in Denmark last month but it had to be postponed to a later ‘yet to be confirmed’ date.