A nutritionist at the University of California, Davis, known for her studies of obesity, has been elected to the prestigious Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences, one of the highest honors a researcher can receive. Judith Stern, a professor of nutrition and internal medicine, was chosen on the basis of her professional achievements and involvement in critical issues affecting public health. As a lifelong member of the Institute of Medicine, she will volunteer her time and expertise to serve on national advisory committees for addressing public policy issues in health. "This is great!" said UC Davis Chancellor Larry Vanderhoef of Stern's election. "It endorses what we've known for a long time -- our nutrition group is a premier group of scientists and Judy Stern is one of the leaders." Stern has focused her research career on the many aspects of obesity, including relationships to fat cell size, insulin levels, diet composition, food intake or aging. She also has studied behavioral aspects of weight maintenance, such as the importance of family support in weight-loss and the success of dieters who develop their own weight-loss programs. "For many years as a nutritionist I have looked to the Institute of Medicine for leadership," said Stern. "I feel quite honored now to be elected to the institute, and hope that I too can provide leadership in this field. I am indebted to my colleagues and former students for all their hard work that made this honor possible." Stern has long been involved nationally in applying scientific findings to the formation of federal health policies. Last year she chaired the Institute of Medicine's committee charged with developing criteria for evaluating various weight-control methods. The committee's report made headlines in December when Stern announced that obesity was at epidemic proportions in the United States. During the past year, she testified before the Food and Drug Administration advisory committee, providing recommendations on whether new experimental drugs should be made available for prescription in the treatment of obesity. She also co-chairs the new Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine Research in Asthma and Allergy, established by the National Institutes of Health at UC Davis. The center will coordinate research efforts aimed at exploring the scientific basis for successful, nontraditional treatments for asthma. Stern served from 1983 to 1986 on the U.S. Dietary Guidelines Committee of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which was responsible for establishing national nutritional guidelines. In 1989-90 she was appointed to the Nutrition Labeling Committee, which established guidelines for current labeling requirements on packaged foods. She also has been active in numerous workshops, study sections and search committees for the National Institutes of Health. In addition to her academic and governmental activities, Stern has for many years maintained a commitment to conveying accurate nutritional information to the general public. She has participated in numerous education programs for health-care professionals, has written dozens of articles for the lay press, and continues to work with print and broadcast journalists. She is one of the founders of the Food and Nutrition Science Alliance, a conglomerate of four professional organizations dedicated to providing consumers with nutritional information. She also serves on the advisory board of former Surgeon General C. Everett Koop's "Shape Up America Campaign." A graduate of the Harvard School of Public Health, where she earned her master's and doctoral degrees in nutrition, Stern joined the UC Davis faculty in 1975. The Institute of Medicine, chartered in 1970 by the National Academy of Sciences, enlists distinguished members of medical and related professions to examine public health issues. There are now 519 active members in the institute, 559 senior members who have fewer responsibilities and 41 foreign associates. This year, 55 new members were elected.