Amanda Sainsbury-Salis
Encyclopedia
Amanda Sainsbury-Salis, PhD is an Australian molecular scientist, educator and author. Her research interests are hypothalamic control of body weight, famine reaction, metabolism, body composition, anorexia, obesity, eating disorders.
. She graduated from the University of Western Australia
in 1990. Then she was the Australian recipient of the Boursière de la Confédération
(Swiss Government Scholarship) in 1991 and she received her PhD from the University of Geneva
, Switzerland in 1996. She returned to Australia in 1998 to work at the Garvan Institute of Medical Research
where she currently leads a research team. She is also a senior lecturer in the University of New South Wales
Faculty of Medicine.
As a young adult she had a binge eating disorder which caused her weight to rise to 93 kilos (height 1.60 cm) despite numerous attempts to lose weight. After she started medical research in weight loss, she lost 28 kilos and has kept it off over 10 years.
Her book The Don't Go Hungry Diet was published by Bantam Australia in 1997. She shares her scientific and personal insights about weight regulation with the public through community workshops, her website and media such as her regular column on weight loss in the Australian Women's Health magazine.
Biography
Sainsbury-Salis was born in Sydney, Australia in 1969 and grew up in Perth, AustraliaPerth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
. She graduated from the University of Western Australia
University of Western Australia
The University of Western Australia was established by an Act of the Western Australian Parliament in February 1911, and began teaching students for the first time in 1913. It is the oldest university in the state of Western Australia and the only university in the state to be a member of the...
in 1990. Then she was the Australian recipient of the Boursière de la Confédération
(Swiss Government Scholarship) in 1991 and she received her PhD from the University of Geneva
University of Geneva
The University of Geneva is a public research university located in Geneva, Switzerland.It was founded in 1559 by John Calvin, as a theological seminary and law school. It remained focused on theology until the 17th century, when it became a center for Enlightenment scholarship. In 1873, it...
, Switzerland in 1996. She returned to Australia in 1998 to work at the Garvan Institute of Medical Research
Garvan Institute of Medical Research
The Garvan Institute of Medical Research was founded in 1963 by the Sisters of Charity. Initially a research department of St Vincent's Hospital in Sydney, it is now one of Australia's largest medical research institutions with approximately 500 scientists, students and support staff.Funds for its...
where she currently leads a research team. She is also a senior lecturer in the University of New South Wales
University of New South Wales
The University of New South Wales , is a research-focused university based in Kensington, a suburb in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia...
Faculty of Medicine.
As a young adult she had a binge eating disorder which caused her weight to rise to 93 kilos (height 1.60 cm) despite numerous attempts to lose weight. After she started medical research in weight loss, she lost 28 kilos and has kept it off over 10 years.
Her book The Don't Go Hungry Diet was published by Bantam Australia in 1997. She shares her scientific and personal insights about weight regulation with the public through community workshops, her website and media such as her regular column on weight loss in the Australian Women's Health magazine.
Famine Reaction and Fat Brake
Sainsbury-Salis introduced the terms "famine reaction" and "fat brake" into the diet literature. She describes those two defence mechanism of body as follows:The Don't Go Hungry Diet
"The Don't Go Hungry Diet" is a lifestyle diet. According to her, conventional diets (calorie restricted diets) don't always work because the body goes into "famine reaction". The body wants to stay at a "set-point" weight and, to establish that, slows the metabolism and hangs on to fat. The way around this is to eat only whenever one feels physically hungry, even if one only eats something like a piece of chocolate cake. While this seems good for many dieters, it can also be a "license to overindulge" for some. Along with ad libitum eating (eating just enough to satisfy hunger), she also advocates eating a great variety of fruits and vegetables and whole (minimally processed) foods.Awards
- 2002 Young Investigator of the Year Award from the Australasian Society for the Study of Obesity
- 2004 NSW Young Tall Poppy Award from the Australian Institute of Policy & Science.
Books
- Sainsbury-Salis, Amanda. The Don't Go Hungry Diet, Bantam Australia, 2007. ISBN 978-1-86325-523-3 / 1863255230