Rachael Taylor is a Research Associate Professor at the Edgar Diabetes and Obesity Research Centre, based at the University of Otago, and the inaugural Karitane Fellow in early childhood obesity. Her current research interests centre include the validity of anthropometry in the assessment of body composition in children and adolescents, the design of lifestyle-based randomized controlled trials for individuals, families, schools and communities, and developing dietary and physical activity interventions for the successful prevention and management of overweight in children and adolescents