Dietitians and Nutrition in the News,
Week of October 21 to 27, 2012

Melissa Joy Dobbins, RD and spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition & Dietetics, and her 12-year-old daughter Sarah came into ABC7 studio to share tips for managing your sweets and how you can keep your kids from overeating their candy.

Calls for more transparency and better science on everything from genetically modified foods to the effect of factory-farmed dairy cattle on milk offered a dizzying array of opportunities for funders who are interested in health, nutrition and sustainability.


Whole Grains For Healthy Family Meals
Liz Weiss, RD explains how you can incorporate healthy whole grains into several meals throughout the week that your entire family will enjoy.

By Maryann Tomovich Jacobsen, MS, RD
A study published in the September issue of The Journal of the American Medical Association, concluded that fish oil doesn’t lower heart disease risk. “This study had some basic flaws,” says Tribole. “They didn’t measure compliance, there was no background information on omega-6 intake, and there was no omega-3 index done, a test that measures DHA and EPA in fatty tissues”

Tribole explains that this is an ongoing issue, as many people complain that taking fish oil results in fishy burps. And the benefits of fish oil get murky when people consume high levels of omega-6 fatty acids because these fats compete for the same enzymes as omega-3s, crowding them out.



by Jennifer Sygo, M.Sc., RD, and sports nutritionist
"While any carbohydrate-based food you eat ultimately breaks down into sugar, causing blood sugar levels to rise, that doesn’t necessarily lead directly to type 2 diabetes. Instead, the bigger risk factor for developing type 2 diabetes appears to be excess weight, especially around the mid-section, which triggers the release of various compounds, including known as inflammatory cytokines that are thought to contribute to insulin resistance. Aside from excess weight, other factors that influence the likelihood of developing type 2 diabetes include gender, age, ethnic background and genetics. Diet and exercise are also factors, but it is the overall quality of the diet, and especially fruit and vegetable intake, seems to be more important in predicting risk than sugar intake only.

"The Collegiate and Professional Sports Dietitians Association working mainly for college athletics programs, is asking the N.C.A.A. to do away with the one-meal-per-day limit and “instead permit unlimited interval feedings as needed throughout the day to fully restore athletes and make them ‘whole again.”

The group is recommending that “all college athletes, whether or not they receive financial assistance, be offered unfettered access without restriction to whole foods and, as necessary, dietary supplements, to replace nutrients, fluids and electrolytes expended while preparing for their sport.”



Amanda Loscar, RD with Giant Eagle is employed to help customers with health conditions make healthier food choices. Loscar is among 22 dietitians Giant Eagle hired in the past three years. They work in 36 of its stores in Pennsylvania, Ohio and Maryland. The O'Hara-based company, with 230 stores, is jumping on a national trend of grocers employing dietitians to assist customers
.
Andrea Mawson, BSc, RD reassures Halloween doesn’t have to be a nutritional nightmare for you and your family if you approach the holiday with a plan in place.

Brooke Mercedes, RD helps us sort through calorie, sugar and fat confusion with Halloween treats.



How Do You Rate Your Family's Nutrition?
Kim Shapira, RD answers our Mom On The Street questions.




The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics is calling for voters
to be made aware of an error in the California Official Voter
Information Guide regarding Proposition 37


FOR RELEASE OCTOBER 8, 2012

ACADEMY OF NUTRITION AND DIETETICS
AND PROPOSITION 37: THE FACTS

CHICAGO – The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics is calling for voters to be made aware of an error in the California Official Voter Information Guide regarding Proposition 37, which inaccurately states that the Academy “has concluded that biotech foods are safe.” 

The false statement is used as an “Argument Against Proposition 37” in the voter’s guide.

“We are concerned that California’s voters are being misled to believe the nation’s largest organization of food and nutrition professionals is against Proposition 37, when in fact, the Academy does not have a position on the issue,” said registered dietitian Ethan A. Bergman, president of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

“Voters need accurate information in order to make an informed choice,” Bergman said.

The voter’s guide was published by the Secretary of State, with a disclaimer that its accuracy has not been verified and that the opinions stated are those of the authors. An expired, and therefore invalid, position of the Academy apparently was used by the guide’s authors to draw the erroneous conclusion regarding Proposition 37. 

The Academy does not have a position on issues pertaining to labeling of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) or genetically engineered (GE) foods.

The inaccurate information has led to confusion and an inaccurate portrayal of in the media and health-care community of the Academy and its state affiliate, the California Dietetic Association.

“In addition to being untruthful, the statement attributed to the Academy may give voters a false impression of registered dietitians and the Academy. Our members are the nation’s trusted and credible source of food and nutrition information,” Bergman said.

As an evidence-based organization, the Academy extensively analyzes relevant scientific studies before taking a position on any issue and systematically reviews and updates its positions as needed. A new position paper that will address GMO and GE foods is expected to be published in 2013.

Media contact: Ryan O’Malley, Allison MacMunn
800/877-1600, ext. 4769, 4802 
media@eatright.org 


The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (formerly the American Dietetic Association) is the world’s largest organization of food and nutrition professionals. The Academy is committed to improving the nation’s health and advancing the profession of dietetics through research, education and advocacy. Visit the Academy at www.eatright.org.

Dietitian and Nutrition Blogs & News