Richard McComb reports on an event which examines the science behind what we eat.

You are what you eat – or are you?

Researchers at the University of Birmingham hope to get to the bottom of this question, and other food-related conundrums, during a unique day of activities, workshops and presentations called Brum Dine With Me.

Dining habits, diets and the role of food in bringing people together are the focus of the event on September 28.

Interesting discussions are likely to be sparked by the Diet in a Day project, which hopes to give an unrivalled insight into the lunch-time food choices of Brummies. The university held a ‘diet in a day’ photo competition on September 7 when it asked local people to take a snap of their lunch and submit the image, by email, to the university for use in an art exhibition.

The photos should give an indication of the lunch habits of residents and workers and will allow scientists specialising in health and obesity to take a snapshot of the nutritional intake, or otherwise, of the people who make up the city.

Pictures submitted by the public will be put together to form an exhibit at the university’s Bramall Gallery to coincide with the other activities on Brum Dine With Me day.

Experts will be on hand to discuss the photos, provide tips and advice about healthy eating and talk about their latest research in food science. There will also be prizes for the best pictures.

Brum Dine With Me is a collaboration between the university, Birmingham City Council, Brindleyplace and mac. Sponsored by the European Commission, the event sees Birmingham join 52 other European cities for a day of public involvement in research.

Event coordinator Dr Eliot Marston said: “Brum Dine With Me aims to show that despite being one of the most reliably routine aspects of human life, food has a remarkable power to amaze and is a universal language across regional, national, international, generational and cultural barriers.

“Our activities have been designed to demonstrate how food allows us to express ourselves and to be innovators in the comfort of our own homes.”