Exciting New Developments In the World of Nutrition!

Several exciting new developments have taken place in the world of the nutrition in the past two weeks! First, the American Dietetic Association announced their new name, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND), at the annual Food and Nutrition Conference and Expo (FNCE) in San Diego, CA. This name change, effective as of January 2012, was made to bring attention to the scientific research and expertise of the professionals in the field of dietetics. The inclusion of the word “nutrition” was done to help consumers more readily identify the primary goal of the academy: to translate and communicate nutrition-science to the public

As a registered dietitian, I am excited about this new development in our field. Our goal is to have an academy of educated professionals that you can rely on for nutrition information, and this name change clearly identifies AND members as the go-to experts for nutrition!

The Food and Nutrition Conference and Expo provided an opportunity to hear about new developments in research and science within the nutrition field. A couple of the most interesting presentations:

A Fresh Look at Processed Foods:

·      Most of the calories in the American diet come from ‘Ready-to-Eat’ processed Foods (soda, candy, juice drinks, cold cuts).

·      In contrast, only about 300 calories a day come from minimally processed foods (milk, coffee, tea, eggs, chicken, beef etc). ? fruits, vegetables?? Where do they fit?

·      However, while processed foods make significant contributions     to nutrients we want to limit (saturated fat, sodium and sugar) they also make significant contributions to the nutrients we want to encourage (potassium, B12, folate).

·      The message: make smart decisions when choosing processed foods.

Satiating Effects of Taste and Texture:

·      It takes only 1 exposure to a food or flavor to develop a flavor aversion.

·      “Fullness” is a learned, internal cue – Individuals in France reported ending dinner when they felt full or food stopped tasting good whereas individuals in America reported stopping a meal when the plate was empty or the TV show had ended.

·      Satiety is affected by both quantity and quality of food – low quality, refined foods, even in high amounts, can feel less satiating and a balance of carbohydrate, fat and protein is key.

Finally, the ‘Nutrition and You: Trends 2011’ survey was released with some interesting findings about the American public’s views of nutrition. Some key highlights:

·      67% of those surveyed listed television as the most frequent source of nutrition information.

·      Registered dietitians were listed as “very credible” sources of nutrition information by 71% of respondents.

·      With increasing rates of obesity and type 2 diabetes, half of Americans still believe they are doing enough to achieve balanced nutrition and a healthy diet.

·      92% of respondents believe that whole-grain bread is healthier than white bread, however, only 48% had increased consumption since 2008.

·      82% of people who didn’t want to change negative dietary habits listed “I don’t want to give up the foods I like” as a reason for avoiding change (up 9% from 2008).

There were many more findings from the survey, which can be found here. Clearly, we still have many challenges to overcome in terms of healthful eating and making smarter nutrition choices. This survey is a motivating factor for our dietitians at Wellness Workdays as we continue to work hard to spread our nutrition messages !