JULIE M. METOS, PhD, RD portrait
  • Associate Dean for Community Engagement, College Of Health
  • Associate Chair, Department of Nutrition and Integrative Physiology
  • Adjunct Assistant Professor, Family And Preventive Medicine
  • Executive Director, University of Utah Center for Community Nutrition, Nutrition & Integrative Physiology
  • Professor (Lecturer) Emeritus, Nutrition & Integrative Physiology

Research Statement

It is an exciting time to contribute to obesity prevention research.  My hope is that in the next two decades, we can bend the obesity curve so that children and adolescents can be physically and emotionally prepared for a healthy adulthood. I am especially interested in policy and systems approaches that reach those that are most affected by obesity.  I am also interested in how altering the built environment can influence energy balance and improve health.  It will take novel approaches to decrease obesity prevalence.  I enjoy research that helps determine which approaches make a difference.

Research Keywords

  • The built environment and relationship to health
  • Policy approaches to health improvement
  • Obesity prevention through the lifespan
  • Health disparities in nutrition and physical activity
  • Evaluation of community and clinical programs
  • Diabetes prevention

Presentations

  • Crush Diabetes: school programs to prevent diabetes through improved nutrition and physical activity in youth Speaker, Utah Health and PE Teacher Conference February 5, 2018 Layton, Utah . Invited Talk/Keynote, Presented, 02/05/2018.
  • Presented a lecture/discussion on food policy to the student organizers of the Real Food Challenge on campus. Presentation, Presented, 12/2016.
  • School Nutrition in the United States: Preventing malnutrition and obesity. Key note speaker, 3rd Annual Student Nutrition Conference, Chinese Centers for Disease Control. Beijing, China . Invited Talk/Keynote, Presented, 11/2016.
  • Pediatric Obesity: Bending the Curve. Speaker, Physician Assistant and Nurse Practitioner Conference. Snowbird, Utah . Invited Talk/Keynote, Presented, 08/12/2016.
  • Creating a Healthy Nutrition Environment. Speaker, 1st Annual Diabetes and Metabolism Retreat, University of Utah. Salt Lake City, Utah . Invited Talk/Keynote, Presented, 03/2016.
  • Obesity and Preconception Health. Presenter, Association of Maternal & Child Health Programs National Webinar. Invited Talk/Keynote, Presented, 02/2015.
  • Unintended consequences of high school food policy. Metos JM, Owen R, Utz RL. (Role: Presenter) Oral Presentations, American Society of Nutrition, Experimental Biology Conference, Boston, Massachusetts. Presentation, Submitted, 01/01/2015.
  • Using Documentary file to educate middle school students about diabetes prevention. Metos, JM. Mackenzie J. (Role: Presenter) Oral Presentation, American Public Health Association Conference, Chicago, Illinois. Presentation, Accepted, 01/01/2015.
  • Personalized Nutrition Personalizing our Population’s Health- Woman and Child Institute Research Conference . Invited Talk/Keynote, Presented, 05/17/2013.
  • Urban B, Jordan K, Metos J, Balch AH, Mihalopoulos NL. Can Breastfeeding Influence Adipokine Expression in Childhood and Adolescence? Pediatric Academic Society Annual Meeting, Washington DC, May 14, 2013. Poster, Presented, 05/14/2013.
  • Merkel J, Urban B, Stanfill K, Metos J. Tracking Utah Nutrition Wellness Policy Improvements – Creating a Baseline Score for Future Comparisons. Utah Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Annual Meeting, Salt Lake City, Utah, March 29, 2013. Poster, Presented, 03/29/2013.
  • A multivariate analysis of high school wellness practices and adolescent obesity Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Active Living Conference . Conference Paper, Refereed, Presented, 02/22/2013.
  • Are obesity practices in high schools associated with school district wellness policies? American Public Health Association Annual Meeting October 2012, San Francisco, California . Conference Paper, Refereed, Presented, 10/24/2012.
  • What Does it Take to Change School Food? Social Soup Lecture Series- School of Social Work 75th Anniversary . Invited Talk/Keynote, Presented, 03/07/2012.
  • Cost Containment through Healthy Lifestyles September 2011 Governor’s Health Summit, Salt Lake City, Utah . Invited Talk/Keynote, Presented, 09/2011.
  • Obesity Diagnosis and Management: Impact of Clinician Attributes on the Assessment and Treatment of Overweight and Obesity in Utah June 2011 Champions of Change Obesity Conference, Salt Lake City, Utah . Invited Talk/Keynote, Presented, 06/2011.
  • Overweight and Obesity Prevention and Treatment in Children June 2008, April 2009, July 2010 Utah Pediatric Improvement and Quality (UPIQ) Conference for Pediatricians, Lehi, Utah . Invited Talk/Keynote, Presented, 07/2010.
  • Education's Role in Preventing Childhood Obesity: What are the Most Effective Policy Components? Utz RL, Coffield JE, Metos JM, Waitzman NJ (Role: Presenter) Oral Presentation, American Public Health Association, Denver, Colorado. Presentation, Presented, 01/01/2010.
  • Helping Children and Families with Celiac Disease: Current Research and Practice October 2008 American Dietetic Association National Teleconference . Invited Talk/Keynote, Presented, 11/2008.
  • Surviving & Thriving with School Wellness February 2007 Utah Board of Education State Conference, St. George, Utah . Invited Talk/Keynote, Presented, 02/2007.
  • Childhood Obesity: What Schools Can Do. Governor Huntsman’s ‘Tipping the Scales Summit’ Salt Lake City, Utah. Invited Talk/Keynote, Presented, 02/2006.
  • Childhood Obesity: What Schools Can Do. Invited Testimony, Utah State Board of Education, Salt Lake City, Utah. Invited Talk/Keynote, Presented, 12/2005.
  • Grassroots Nutrition Interventions. Panel Presentation, American Dietetic Association Annual Meeting, Anaheim, California. (Role: Presenter). Presentation, Presented, 01/01/2004.

Grants, Contracts & Research Gifts

  • Sugar Babies Diabetes Prevention Program. PI: Julie Metos. 01/01/2015 - present. Total project budget to date: $25,000.00
  • Sugar Babies Diabetes Prevention Program, Marion Eccles Foundation. PI: Julie Metos, PhD, RD. 01/01/2015 - present. Total project budget to date: $20,000.00
  • Diabetes Prevention Program for Faculty and Staff, University of Utah Hospital Foundation, . PI: Co-PI with Timothy Graham, MD, Robin Marcus, PhD, PT, J. Robinson Singleton, MD. 01/2014 - 01/2016. Total project budget to date: $30,000.00
  • Exploring Unintended Consequences of Wellness Policies on Adolescent Food Choices, Vice President for Research Incentive Program Seed Grant. PI: Julie Metos, PhD, RD. 01/01/2014 - present. Total project budget to date: $30,000.00
  • Diabetes Prevention Program for Faculty and Staff, Sorenson Foundation. PI: Julie Metos. Co-PI(s): Timothy Graham, MD, Robin Marcus, PhD, PT, J. Robinson Singleton, MD. 01/01/2014 - 01/01/2015. Total project budget to date: $25,000.00
  • Wellness Program Developement, NuSkin. PI: Julie Metos, PhD, RD. Co-PI(s): Katherine Beals, PhD, RD, CSSD. 01/01/2013 - present. Total project budget to date: $12,000.00
  • Yes We Can! Obesity Reduction and Healthy Lifestyles Improvement for Young Adults with Intellectual Disabilities. PI: Julie Metos, PhD, RD. Co-PI(s): Lauren Clark, PhD, RN. 01/01/2012 - present. Total project budget to date: $22,400.00
  • Face of Fitness Nutrition Curriculum Developement. PI: Julie Metos, PhD, RD. 01/01/2012 - present. Total project budget to date: $6,000.00
  • Online Course Developement Grant: Pediatric Nutrition, University of Utah Technology Assisted Curricilum Center. PI: Julie Metos, PhD, RD. Co-PI(s): Kristine Jordan, PhD, RD. 01/01/2009 - present. Total project budget to date: $5,000.00
  • Eat & Live Well: A Weight Management Program for Hispanic Adoloscents and Families. Florsheim Foundation: Initiatives in Child Health. PI: Julie Metos, PhD, RD. Co-PI(s): Nicole Mihalopolous, MD. 01/01/2007 - present. Total project budget to date: $15,000.00
  • Parents' Knowledge and Attitude Towards School District Wellness Policies, University of Utah College of Health Research and Creative Grant Competition. PI: Julie Metos, PhD, RD. Co-PI(s): Marilyn Nanney, PhD, RD. 01/01/2006 - present. Total project budget to date: $5,000.00
  • Improving School Nutrition and Physical Activity in a Rural Setting- The San Juan School District in Southeastern Utah, Kellogg's Foundation. PI: Julie Metos, PhD, RD. Co-PI(s): Nedra Christensen, PhD, RD. 01/01/2006 - present. Total project budget to date: $25,000.00
  • Pilot Testing Novel School Wellness Activities via Competitive Grants to School Districts, Actions for Healthy Kids, Primary Investigator. PI: Julie Metos, PhD, RD. 01/01/2005 - present. Total project budget to date: $25,000.00

Research/Scholarship Projects

  • Volume-Based Tube Feeding vs Time-Based Tube Feeding . PI: Carissa Christensen. 11/2016 - present.
  • I collaborated on an R-21 proposal to NIH-NIDDK entitled “Replacement of TV Ads to Improve Efficacy and Maintenance of Behavior Change in Diabetes Prevention Program(DPP) Participants”. PI: Bryan Gibson. 10/2016 - present.

Languages

  • English, fluent.

Publications

  • Julie Metos & Shannon Jones, Theresa Dvorak (2018). Community-Based Culinary Medicine: Community-Led, Culturally Appropriate Curriculum Development. American Public Health Association Annual Conference. Published, 11/20/2018.
  • Nica Clark & Carmen Ramos and Julie Metos (2018). Focus Groups Evaluating Diabetes Risk Factors and Resource Gaps in Utah High Schools. Society for Nutrition Education and Behavior. Society for Nutrition Education and Behavior. Published, 07/19/2018.
  • Shannon Jones (2018). Measuring Nutrition Literacy, Food Availability and Health Interests Across the Spectrum of Homelessness. Utah Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Published, 04/24/2018.
  • Kelan Pearson & Kristine Jordan, Julie Metos, Nikki Mihalopoulos (2017). Metabolic dysfunction in adolescents with obesity: the roles of maternal and child factors. Obesity Society Annual Scientific Meeting. Washington, DC. Published, 11/16/2017.
  • Natalie Norris & Brusseau TA, Burns RD, Metos J, Jordan KC (2017). Nutrition knowledge among children from low socioeconomic Families and its relationship to health-related fitness, physical activity knowledge, and metabolic health. Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Food & Nutrition Conference & Expo, Chicago, IL. Published, 11/01/2017.
  • Mihalopoulos Nicole L, Urban B, Metos JM, Balch AH, Jordan KJ. Breastfeeding, Leptin-to-Adiponection Ratio and Metabolic Dysfunction in a Cohort of Adolescents with Obesity. Metabolic Syndrome and Related Disorders. Southern Medical Journal. 110(5):347-352. Published, 05/2017.
  • Vinichagoon T & Murtaugh M, Metos J, Gao V, Jordan K (2017). The Development of an Objective Scoring System for Evaluating Mediterranean Diet Recipes. Utah Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Annual Meeting, Salt Lake City, Utah. Published, 04/25/2017.
  • Rose Mattson & Brusseau TA, Burns RD, Metos J, Jordan KC (2017). Changes in physical activity/nutrition knowledge and enjoyment in CSPAP schools. Society of Health and Physical Educators. Boston, MA. Published, 04/19/2017.
  • Mey V, Newton B, Benson J, Dvorak T, Metos J. (2016) Development of a cookbook for Weigh to Health program. Utah Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Ogden, Utah. Published, 03/2016.
  • Wu Y. P., Yi J., McClellan J., Kim J., Tian T., Metos J., Grahmann B., Conn B., Mooney R., Kirchhoff A., Mooney K., Alder S., & Wright J. (2015). Barriers to and facilitators of recommended health behaviors among adolescent and young adult cancer survivors: Implications for behavioral intervention development. Poster presented at the Society of Pediatric Psychology Annual Conference, San Diego, CA. Published, 11/2015.
  • North JC, Jordan, KC, Metos J, Hurdle JF. (2015) Nutrition Informatics Applications in Clinical Practice: A Systematic Review. American Medical Informatics Association Proceedings, San Francisco, California. Published, 10/2015.
  • Chen X, Wei G, Jalili T, Metos JM, Giri A, Cho M, Goucher R, Greene T, Beddhu S. The Associations of Plant Protein Intake with All-Cause Mortality in Chronic Kidney Disease. American Journal of Kidney Disease 2015 (10) 18-23. Published, 10/2015.
  • Daly-Wolfe KM, Moyer-Mileur LJ, Slater H, Browning SK , Baserga M, Morrell G, Metos JM, Jordan KC. (2015) Subscapular Skinfold Thickness is a Low-Cost Measure to Estimate Visceral Adiposity in Preterm Infants. Food & Nutrition Conference & Expo, Nashville, TN. Published, 10/2015.
  • North JC, Jordan KC, Metos JM, Hurdle JF. Nutrition informatics applications in clinical practice: a systematic review. American Medical Informatics Annual Symposium Proceedings 2015; 2015:963-972. Published, 04/2015.
  • Metos J, Cutler H, McKenzie J, Harris J. (2015). Sugar Babies Diabetes Prevention Program in Utah Middle Schools: Changing Knowledge and Behaviors. Utah Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Annual Meeting, Salt Lake City, Utah. Published, 03/2015.
  • North J, Hurdle JF, Metos J, Jordan KC. (2014. Developement and Presentation of Nutrition Informatics Modules for a Graduate Dietetic Course. Utah Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Annual Meeting, Salt Lake City, Utah. Published, 03/01/2014.
  • Urban B, Jordan K, Metos J, Balch AH, Mihalopoulos NL. (2013). Can Breastfeeding Influence Adipokine Expression in Childhood and Adolescence? Pediatric Academic Society, San Diego, California. Published, 04/01/2013.
  • Metos, JM, Merkel J, Urban B, Stanfill K. (2013). Tracking Utah Nutrition Wellness Policy Improvements. Utah Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Annual Meetings, Salt Lake City, Utah. Published, 03/01/2013.
  • Lanier WA, Wagstaff RS, Friedrichs MD, Metos JM. Factors Associated with Teacher Awareness and Implementation of Food and Physical Activity Policies in Utah Elementary Schools. Preventing Chronic Disease, 2012: January 9: E:18. Epub December 15, 2011. Published, 12/15/2011.
  • DeMill, JH, Metos, J, Friedrichs, MD, Wagstaff, RS & Lanier, WA (2011). Teacher Awareness and Implementation of Food and Physical Activity Policies in Utah Elementary Schools, 2010. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Published, 2011.
  • Metos, Julie & Murtaugh, Maureen (2011). Words or Reality: Are School District Wellness Policies Implemented? A Systematic Review of the Literature. Mary Ann Liebert Inc. Vol. 7(2), 90-100. Published, 2011.
  • Utz, Rebecca L., Metos, Julie M., Waitzman, Norman J. & Coffield, J. Edward (2011). A Multivariate Analysis of Federally Mandated School Wellness Policies on Adolescent Obesity. Elsevier BV. Vol. 49(4), 363-370. Published, 2011.
  • Smith, E.K., Metos, J.M., Jordan, K.C. & Jepson-Sullivan, R.M. (2011). Reliability and Validity of a Breastfeeding Knowledge Survey in Allied Health Students. Elsevier BV. Vol. 111(9), A68. Published, 2011.
  • Coffield JE, Metos JM, Utz RL, Waitzman NJ. A Multivariate Analysis of Federally Mandated School Wellness Policies on Adolescent Obesity. Journal of Adolescent Health 2011(9) 46-55. Published, 07/2011.
  • Cardell, E., Pett, M.A., Jordan, K.C., Eldredge, A.L., Masson, J., Clark, L., Metos, J. & Reese, S.A. (2011). We Can Too!: Development and Evaluation of Lesson Plans for the Parents of Overweight Young Adults with Intellectual Disabilities. Elsevier BV. Vol. 111(9), A89. San Diego, California. Published, 01/01/2011.
  • Jepson-Sullivan RM, Metos JM, Smith EK, Jordan KC. (2011). Reliability and Validity of a Breastfeeding Knowledge Survey in Allied Health Students. ADA Food and Nutriton Conference and Expo, San Diego, California. Published, 01/01/2011.
  • Joy, E., Jackson, W. D., Metos, J., Young, P. C., Templeman, M., DeBry, S. & Norlin, C. (2010). Improving the Prevention, Early Recognition, and Treatment of Pediatric Obesity by Primary Care Physicians. SAGE Publications. Vol. 49(10), 964-969. Published, 2010.
  • Young PC, DeBry S, Jackson WD, Metos JM, Joy EA, Templeman M, Norlin C. Improving the Prevention, Early Recognition, and Treatment of Pediatric Obesity by Primary Care Physicians. Clinical Pediatrics. 2010: 49(10) 964-969. Published, 10/15/2010.
  • Tsai LL, Jordan KC, Metos JM, Nanney MS. Nutrient Quality of Competitive Foods in Two Utah Middle Schools. Utah’s Health: An Annual Review, 2009: XIV, 56-61. Published, 12/10/2009.
  • Metos, Julie & Nanney, Marilyn S. (2007). The Strength of School Wellness Policies: One State?s Experience. Wiley-Blackwell. Vol. 77(7), 367-372. Published, 2007.