Marlene Lages attended the 32nd National Congress of Internal Medicine as an invited speaker on Obesity Treatment

The 32nd National Congress of Internal Medicine took place in Lagoa from May 21 to 23, where Marlene Lages, a research fellow and PhD holder in Food Consumption Sciences and Nutrition, participated as a speaker in the roundtable session “Back to Basics – Lifestyle in the Treatment of Obesity.”

Her presentation focused on chrononutrition and the impact of meal timing on metabolic health, exploring how meal schedules—often irregular or delayed—interact with the body’s internal biological clock, and how misaligned eating patterns may contribute to weight gain and insulin resistance.

During her presentation, preliminary findings from the NutriClock project, developed at ciTechCare, were shared. The results suggest that dietary composition may influence the expression of “clock genes,” further reinforcing the link between nutrition and circadian rhythms. NutriClock formed part of Marlene Lages’ doctoral research, supervised by Professor Maria Guarino (ciTechCare), Professor Renata Barros (FCNAUP) and Professor Sara Carmo-Silva (ESTeSCoimbra).

The panel also addressed topics such as the role of physical exercise, sleep, and pharmacotherapy in the treatment of obesity. Learn more at: https://cnmi.spmi.pt/back-to-basics-no-tratamento-da-obesidade-o-papel-do-estilo-de-vida-na-pratica-clinica/

The 32nd National Congress of Internal Medicine provided an important opportunity for knowledge exchange among healthcare professionals and researchers, highlighting the importance of multidisciplinary collaboration at one of Portugal’s leading scientific events in the field.

Photos: Portuguese Society of Internal Medicine