SNOWE, COLLINS ANNOUNCE FUNDS FOR OBESITY AND OSTEOPOROSIS RESEARCH AT UMO

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Senators Olympia Snowe (R-ME) and Susan Collins (R-ME) today announced that a $76,000 grant has been awarded to the University of Maine system from the United States Department of Agriculture under the National Research Initiative Competitive Grants Program. The funds will be used to enhance obesity and osteoporosis research in Maine at University of Maine at Orono.

"The University of Maine at Orono is one of New England''s premiere universities. It is both exciting and extremely beneficial for our state to conduct the most cutting edge research on obesity and osteoporosis," said Senators Snowe and Collins in a joint statement. Obesity and related diseases are increasing at an alarming rate in developed and developing nations. As the U.S. population ages, the incidence of osteoporosis is also increasing. The Food Science and Human Nutrition faculty at the University of Maine will be using this funding to purchase a Hologic Discovery W Bone Densitometer that measures body composition. Accurate measurement of bone density and fat/lean ratios will benefit the research programs in the Department as well as those of faculty in the Department of Psychology and the Center for Aging. The faculty intends to collect preliminary data for future USDA and NIH grant proposals, and to integrate the use of the equipment into human nutrition classes.

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