2012 Slim Chance Awards Announced to Weight-loss Scheme Promoters

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24th Annual SLIM CHANCE Awards!

As Flu Outbreak Reaches Epidemic Levels, Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Encourages Everyone to Protect Your Health With Immune-Boosting Nutrition

For Release January 15, 2013

CHICAGO – As the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports flu outbreaks reaching epidemic levels and encourages all Americans to get flu shots, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics reminds people they can help protect themselves against infections and boost their immunity through nutrition. 

“A strong immune system doesn’t guarantee your body can fight off every flu bug, but it is a powerful defense,” said registered dietitian and Academy spokesperson Heather Mangieri. “Good nutrition is essential to a strong immune response.” 

“A relatively mild deficiency of even one nutrient may make a difference in your body’s ability to fight infection,” she said.

Mangieri recommends working with a registered dietitian to get the nutrition needed for a healthy defense, starting with an eating plan full of nutrients well-recognized for their roles in building a person’s immunity:

· Protein is part of the body’s defense mechanism. Eat a variety of protein foods, including seafood, lean meat, poultry, eggs, beans and peas, soy products and unsalted nuts and seeds.

· Vitamin A helps regulate the immune system and protects you from infections by keeping skin and tissues in your mouth, stomach, intestines and respiratory healthy. Get this immune-boosting vitamin from sweet potatoes, carrots, kale, spinach, red bell peppers, apricots, milk, eggs or foods labeled vitamin-A fortified, such as milk or cereal.

· Vitamin C protects you from infection by stimulating the formation of antibodies and boosting immunity. Include more of this healthy vitamin in your diet with citrus fruits like oranges, grapefruit and tangerines, or red bell pepper, papaya, strawberries, tomato juice or foods fortified with vitamin C, such as some cereals.

· Vitamin E works as an antioxidant, neutralizes free radicals and may improve immune function. Include vitamin E in your diet with fortified foods, sunflower seeds, almonds, sunflower or safflower oil, hazelnuts, peanut butter or spinach.

· Zinc helps the immune system work properly and may help wounds heal. Zinc can be found in lean beef, wheat germ, crab, wheat bran, sunflower seeds, black-eyed peas, almonds, milk and tofu.

· Other nutrients including vitamin B6, folate, selenium, iron and copper, as well as prebiotics and probiotics, may influence immune response also.

“A registered dietitian can help ensure you’re getting the nutrients your body needs to function and protect itself,” Mangieri said. “An RD can also build an eating plan that works for your unique nutritional needs and lifestyle.”

Beyond the flu, a healthy immune response may offer protection from other health problems, including arthritis, allergies, abnormal cell development and cancers.

Learn more about Disease Management and Prevention at www.eatright.org, and encourage children to wash hands properly with the downloadable Hand Washing Maze.

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. To locate a registered dietitian in your area, visit the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics at www.eatright.org.

Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Press Release: Make 2013 the Year You Achieve Weight Control Success

FOR RELEASE JANUARY 2, 2013 
Media contact: Ryan O’Malley, Allison MacMunn 
800/877-1600, ext. 4769, 4802 
media@eatright.org 

CHICAGO – Millions of Americans resolve to lose weight and eat healthfully at the beginning of each year, but resolutions are notoriously broken. Registered dietitians—the food and nutrition experts—weigh in on why resolutions fail and how to best set yourself up for success in 2013. 
“It may be tempting to focus on losing weight fast, leading many to turn to dangerous fads diets and crash diets,” said registered dietitian and Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics spokesperson Angela Ginn. “However, research shows that slow, healthy weight loss is more likely to last than dramatic weight changes.” 


While you should consult a physician before adopting an exercise plan, primary care physicians identify nutrition experts such as registered dietitians as the most qualified providers to care for obese patients, according to a recent study from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. 

“Forget about fad diets and work with a registered dietitian to get back to the basics with realistic and personal goals for eating smarter and moving more.”


Be realistic. Be specific. 

“Expecting to hit the gym for 4 hours every day or to stick to a super restrictive fad diet is overwhelming for your body, mind and schedule,” Ginn said. “Instead, choose smaller, healthy changes you can stick to over the long term, such as taking a walk during your lunch break or adding more fruits and vegetables to your plate each meal.”

“One large goal can seem overwhelming, so set yourself up for success with realistic goals, and divide large, vague goals into smaller, more specific goals,” she said.

For instance, rather than saying I will eat better, break this into specific goals like I will eat one more piece of fruit per day and I will choose whole grains more often.


“Goals should be challenging but also reachable,” Ginn said. “Consult a registered dietitian to build a plan with goals that works for your unique nutritional needs and fits with your lifestyle.” 

Also, make sure the goals you set are measurable so you can track your progress, Ginn recommends. For instance, choose goals so as “How much?” or “How many?” so you can easily review and track your progress, as well as reward yourself. These smaller goals will help keep you from getting discouraged because you can see results more quickly.”

Build a support network.

Enlist family and friends to try new healthy recipes with you or to be your workout buddy. Having a support network can help you focus on positive results rather than temptations, and motivate you to stick with your plan. “A registered dietitian can also help you track your progress towards your health goals and give you encouragement and solutions along the way,” Ginn said. “It’s always a good idea to have a food and nutrition expert on your side!” 

Learn more about healthy weight loss by visiting www.eatright.org/healthyweight or watch the video What a Registered Dietitian Can Do for You. 

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. To locate a registered dietitian in your area, visit the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics at www.eatright.org.