Rebecca L. Utz Assistant Professor 325 BEH S 585-5496 rebecca.utz@soc.utah.edu VITA

Ph.D. The University of Michigan , 2004
M.A. The University of Michigan , 2002
M.G.S. Miami University , 1999 (gerontology)
B.A. Miami University, 1996

Rebecca Utz joined the sociology faculty in the fall of 2004. She is a medical sociologist, with training in gerontology, demography, and sociology of the life course. Her teaching interests include research methodology, sociology of health and illness, and population health. Her research interests include: 1) the social and psychological consequences of late-life widowhood and 2) the health lifestyles of Americans.

Currently, she is conducting an epidemiological study of American body weight trends from 1960-2000. This work documents the emergence of what many are calling an "obesity epidemic." She uses the obesity data to make projections about whether the rise in obesity has the potential to threaten the health and well-being of the American population. Additional research explores how middle-aged adults perceive their risk for heart disease and whether they alter their lifestyles in order to promote a healthful, active longevity.