Paulina Nowicka

Professor at Department of food studies, nutrition and dietetics

Telephone:
+46 18 471 34 31
Mobile phone:
+46 72 162 31 72
E-mail:
paulina.nowicka@ikv.uu.se
Visiting address:
BMC
Husargatan 3
752 37 Uppsala
Postal address:
Box 560
751 22 UPPSALA

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Short presentation

My research focuses on how we can help children with obesity and their families earlier, better, and without stigma. I study family-based treatment, healthcare communication, and the impact of weight stigma on children and families. By integrating clinical, behavioural, and sociocultural perspectives, my work aims to improve both healthcare practice and public health policy.

Keywords

  • barnnutrition
  • behandling
  • psykometri
  • prevention
  • familj
  • livsstil
  • childhood obesity
  • pediatrik

Biography

My interest in childhood obesity research was shaped by almost a decade of clinical work at the Childhood Obesity Unit at the Pediatric Hospital in Malmö, Sweden. I completed my PhD in Pediatrics at Lund University in 2009, focusing on multidisciplinary treatment approaches for children and adolescents with obesity, with particular attention to family-based interventions.

Following my PhD, I pursued postdoctoral training at Yale University (USA), the University of Oregon (USA), and the University of Oxford (UK), working across pediatrics, developmental psychology, and sociocultural anthropology. These experiences continue to influence my interdisciplinary approach to research.

With support from national and international funding agencies, I established my own research group and have led several clinical trials and implementation studies in childhood obesity. My work combines clinical, behavioural, and sociocultural perspectives to improve obesity prevention and treatment for children and families.

I have served in leadership roles within several scientific organizations, including the European Association for the Study of Obesity (EASO), the European Childhood Obesity Group (ECOG), and the Swedish Association for the Study of Obesity (SFO). I have also contributed to national and international expert groups on obesity care and public health nutrition, including initiatives led by the Swedish National Board of Health and Welfare and the World Health Organization.

In addition to research, I teach and supervise students and researchers at all academic levels, from undergraduate to postdoctoral training.

Research

My research focuses on childhood obesity as a chronic disease, with particular emphasis on early intervention, family-based treatment, healthcare communication, and weight stigma. Using both quantitative and qualitative methods, I study how children, families, healthcare professionals, and health systems can work together to improve obesity prevention, treatment, and long-term health outcomes.

A central theme of my work is how to support families through evidence-based and non-stigmatizing approaches that strengthen parents' confidence and capacity to promote healthy lifestyles. My research also examines children's eating behaviours, parental feeding practices, weight-related communication, and the long-term metabolic and psychosocial consequences of childhood obesity.

My research has been funded by the Swedish Research Council, FORTE, VINNOVA, the European Union Horizon 2020 programme, the Jerring Foundation, the Swedish Society for Medical Research, the Swedish Medical Association, and others.

Paulina Nowicka

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