Childhood Obesity Research Center (CORC) | University of Southern California

The USC Childhood Obesity Research Center (CORC) is a collaborative effort between USC and Children's Hospital of Los Angeles that strives to maintain and further build our position as one of the nation's leading research teams addressing childhood obesity. The center, under the direction of Dr. Michael I Goran, strives to understand childhood obesity and its related conditions, to examine its relationship to minority health, and to develop novel strategies for prevention and treatment. More...

Click here to learn about our affiliate, the Diabetes & Obesity Research Institute (DORI). Learn about the clinical testing resources available to you.

Our big fat complicated population health problem, Part 2: It may be worse than we thought. More...

Global Analysis of HFCS & Diabetes Prevalence
CORC's Dr. Michael Goran's recent publication in the Journal of Global Public Health on the global prevalence of high fructose corns syrup and diabetes prevalence has sparked public interest. Read the full article here.

CORC Lobbies for Better School Food
The CORC has joined with a broad coalition of organizations, including the Jamie Oliver Food Foundation, Food for Lunch, and Slow Food Los Angeles, to lobby for better school food in the Los Angeles Unified School District. As part of these efforts, the CORC has collected over 500 handwritten letters from district students expressing their requests for improved school food, to be delivered to new Superintendent Dr. Deasy. One of the first milestones in this campaign was Dr. Deasy’s recommendation to the Board to remove flavored milk in the district, beginning this coming Fall. Click here for coverage of the announcement, and here to see a letter from a LAUSD student. Click here to download a lesson plan for students to voice their opinions and here to send an e-mail to the Superintendent and the Board regarding school lunch.

CORC Director Michael Goran and Research Associate Emily Ventura are the authors of an Op-Ed in the LA Times about the amount of added sugar in school breakfasts and lunches throughout Los Angeles schools. The amount of added sugar in a school breakfast alone is sometimes higher than the World Health Organization's recommendations for daily consumption of added sugar.

Diabetes & Sweetener Link Scrutinized
November 27, 2012, New York Times

High Fructose Corn Syrup Consumption Linked with Type 2 Diabetes
November 27, 2012, HuffPost | Los Angeles Times

Study: Countries that use more High Fructose Corn Syrup Have more Diabetes
November 27, 2012, The Atlantic

Some health experts sour on fructose
September 19, 2012, Chicago Tribune

Obesity and Liver Disease in the Hispanic Community.
September 14, 2012, HuffPost

So how much fructose does HFCS contain? More than you thought, one study claims.
November 8, 2011, Citizens for Health

Bitter battle over high fructose corn syrup claims
Sept. 13, 2011, USA Today article

Is Sugar Toxic?
April 13, 2011, New York Times article

Is the National School Lunch Program to blame (in part) for the rise in childhood obesity?
April 6, 2011, When the National School Lunch Program began in 1946, the idea was to get nutritious food into the stomachs of malnourished children from low-income families. More...

Are Children Prey for Fast Food Companies?
November 8, 2010
Food companies have been in a headlong rush to prevent government from enacting policies that would affect sales of items such as sugar-sweetened beverages and fast food. More...