Food and nutrition expert Prof. Marion Nestle received the prestigious Edinburgh Medal at a ceremony in Edinburgh last night.
The Edinburgh Medal is presented each year during the Edinburgh Science Festival to an individual who has made a significant contribution to the wellbeing and understanding of humanity through the sciences.
Nestle (who is not related to the Swiss food conglomerate) is a champion for healthy nutrition and the dangers of processed foods, particularly since the publication of her best known book "Food Politics: How the Food Industry Influences Nutrition and Health" in 2002
She has become renowned for her commentary on how the food industry impacts the health of the population at large be it food production, processing, or marketing, advocating for measures to combat problems like childhood obesity with better education and labelling of foods.
Prof Nestle is Paulette Goddard Professor of Nutrition, Food Studies, and Public Health, Emerita, at New York University. Alongside her PhD from the University of California, Berkeley, she has been awarded honorary degrees from Transylvania University in Kentucky and the City University of New York's Macaulay Honors College. Prof Nestle has authored 15 books about food policy and politics.
Nestle continues to write and advocate for scientifically-based nutrition on her website.