How much exercise you need to do to burn off the energy in one sugar cube? Did you know that molecules in blood can tell us what people eat and drink, their health, and even their future risk of developing heart disease or diabetes? How can our neighbourhoods influence what we eat?

Join scientists from the MRC Epidemiology Unit at this free drop-in Cambridge Festival event to explore how our genes, behaviour and environment influence the risk of type 2 diabetes and other metabolic diseases.

When: Saturday 18 March 2023, 11 AM – 4 PM

Where: Cambridge Academy for Science and Technology, Robinson Way, Cambridge CB2 0SZ

About this Cambridge Festival event

Have you ever wondered how much exercise you need to do to burn off the energy in just one sugar cube? Take our Sugar Cube Challenge and find out!

Tiny molecules called biomarkers that are found in blood can tell us a lot about what people eat and drink, their health, and even their future risk of developing heart disease or diabetes. In ‘Fortune Telling Molecules’, you can pick a card, spin the wheel and see what fortune may have in store.

In our ‘Welcome to the Snackingtons’ game, you can explore how the places where we live, work and play shape what we eat.

At the MRC Epidemiology Unit, we investigate the interplay between our genes, behaviour and environment that contributes to the risk of obesity, type 2 diabetes and related health conditions. Our scientists use a wide range of technologies and approaches in studies involving anything from a few dozen to half a million participants to discover how different factors influence our risk of developing disease. This better understanding of the individual and combined effects of these risk factors helps us to develop and evaluate strategies to prevent obesity, and type 2 diabetes, and to improve the health of individuals and communities.