Kent State Interns

In 1990, the Nutrition Labeling and Education Act was signed which mandated that all packaged foods should include a nutrition label. With the exception of including trans fats, it has not changed since. Nutrition is a growing science, and the label should reflect this. Changes are to include more relevant information based on how Americans realistically eat and will be in a much easier format to understand. The most important change is inclusion of added sugars because not every sugar is the same, as many believe. The population’s sugar intake is too high; studies show that American’s consume 16% of their total calories from added sugars. The calories from fat line will be removed as this information is not helpful in deciding if a product is healthy or not. Knowing the type of fat is more beneficial. A major change proposed is increasing the serving sizes to what Americans are realistically consuming and having a larger display of calories per serving, but some fear that this ...

Smith, E.M., Capogrossi, K.L., & Estabrooks, P.A. (2012). School wellness policies: Effects of using standard templates. American Journal for Preventative Medicine, 43:3, 304-308. The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness and comprehensiveness of wellness policies at schools that used a standard template compared to those who did not in Virginia schools. Out of schools surveyed, only 17% of school wellness policies had met all of the standards (related to physical activity, physical education, nutrition, and nutrition education). This statistic is surprising all by itself that the vast majority of schools are not meeting the guidelines in this state. Interestingly enough, significantly more locally developed policies met the standards compared to template-using policies. This article supports the possibility that schools that create their own policies may be more effective than those who follow templates. Of course, more research is needed in this area to de...

As nutrition majors we all know the benefits of breastfeeding. What is sometimes overlooked is the difficulties and roadblocks that mothers can go through when trying to breastfeed. It is extremely important that the first few weeks after giving birth the mother has a good support system and is able to care for herself when nursing her baby. This article discusses how to overcome some of the roadblocks that can make breastfeeding stressful. After having a baby mothers are exhausted and it is hard to feed a baby at all hours of the day. This is where a good support system comes into place. Breastfeeding is a learning process for both the mother and baby. During the hospital stay the mother should use the resources available for her regarding breastfeeding. A lactation consultant can help with latching difficulties and different positions to hold the baby that are both comfortable for the mother and baby. Some family members may be disappointed that the mother is breastfeeding becaus...

Dunn, C., Whetstone, L. M., Kolasa, K. M., Jayaratne, K, S., Thomas, C., Aggarwal, S., et al. (2014). Using synchronous distance-education technology to deliver weight management                              intervention.  Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, 46 (6), 602-609.                   Researchers compared the use of traditional weight management interventions, such as face to face meetings and seminars, to essentially teleconferencing weight management interventions. The study showed that this method of intervention showed even greater results in BMI, weight, and waist circumference than traditional methods.                 This has tremendous practical appl...

Lloyd, J. L. & Wellman, N. S. (2015). Older Americans Act Nutrition Programs: a community-based             nutrition program helping older adults remain at home.   Journal of Nutrition in Gerontology and   Geriatrics, 34 (2), 90-109.                 This article speaks to the foundations of the Older Americans Act in 1965 and the development of the act from then until now. It demonstrates the need for the nutrition related aspects of the bill in that food insecure adults are 50% more likely to have diabetes, 14% more likely to be hypertensive, 60% more likely to have congestive heart failure or a heart attack, twice as likely to report fair/poor general health, three times more likely to suffer depression, and twice as likely to report gum disease and asthma.             ...

Medeiros, L. C., Butkus, S. N., Chipman, H., Cox, R. H., Jones, L., Little, D. (2005). A logic model   framework for community nutrition education. Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior.            37 (4), 197-202.                 The Food and Nutrition Service, USDA, and Economic Research Service sponsored the development of “white papers” to look at the methodology in systems and environmental change, food shopping practices, food safety, dietary quality, and food insecurity and security in order to determine if the models that were being used were achieving the goals of improved health and independence of participants.                 These papers lead to the development of the Community Nutrition Education Logic Model (CNE Logic Model). The purpose of which was to h...

Kristal, A. R., Abrams, B. F., Thornquist, M. D., Disogra, L., Croyle, R. T., Shattuck, A. L., et al. (1990). Development and validation of a food use checklist for evaluation of community nutrition interventions. American Journal of Public Health, 80 (11), 1318-1322.                   Authors suggest that the standard tools that are used in community dietetics to gather information are insufficient. They talk about 24-hour recalls being too time consuming and needing professionally trained interviewers and that multiple-day diet records and food frequency questionnaires are too expensive and difficult to use. They instead suggest a Food Behavior Checklist (FBC). A FBC is similar to a 24-hour recall but instead is a yes/no survey that can be administered quickly by almost anyone.                 When compared to...

In the 2009, May issue of Today’s Dietitian , Lindsey Getz writes about the unhealthy foods offered to children at restaurants on the usual kid friendly menu and how it needs to change immediately. Items offered to children are high in sodium, fat, have little to no fruit and vegetables, and are served in larger portions. In addition, the menu provides access to unlimited sodas and sugary beverages, which can pack on the calories fast. Kid “friendly” menus are not as friendly as you may think; they can reach up to one thousand calories, which is what a child may need in an entire day! Now, for a family that chooses to eat out once in a while, splurging here and there is not a big issue. With our current on-the-go, fast paced, lifestyles, families are eating out more often, up to several times a week. This exposes children to more processed foods such as fried chicken fingers, macaroni and cheese, hot dogs, french fries, and burgers.         ...

Story, M., Nanney, M.S., & Schwartz, M.B. (2009). School and obesity prevention: Creating school environments and policies to promote healthy eating and physical activity. The Milbank Quarterly, 87:1, 71-100. This study examined the school environment and how this effected healthy behavior in the students. It pertained primarily to obesity prevention. Though there was information related to physical activity, I primarily focused on the nutrition-related information. The article explained a great deal about competitive foods (foods sold outside of federally reimbursed lunches) and how they are widely available in schools. It also went into detail about how high competitive food availability is associated with higher intake of kcal, soft drinks, total fat, saturated fat, and lower intake of fruits and vegetables. This information can be quite useful for dietitians working in a community environment. If working with parents and their children, it may be beneficial to highly re...

In the 2010, February issue of Today’s Dietitian , Bryan Roof explains the differences in both chefs and dietitians but sees that they have more in common than they think. The link amongst the two professions is that they each possess what the other lacks. Chefs are trained to appreciate food for its taste and learning how to make their clients happy; they keep up with the latest culinary trends and seasonal foods available to them but typically do not focus on health. Dietitians, on the other hand, have extensive training and academic background about healthful foods, however their cooking experiences lack. Dietitians can determine nutritional content and make suggestions to increase health, while chefs are creative and ingredient driven, they can modify common entrees into healthier and tasteful dishes with the dietitian’s guidance. The biggest problem between chefs and dietitians is the lack of communication. Uniting together and creating a team is the most beneficial to their ...

 "Kids Consume 12% of Their Calories from Fast Food, Data Shows." Article:  http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2015/09/16/kids-fast-food-calories/72325838/ Data source: http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/databriefs/db213.htm      This article in USA Today from 9/16/2015 outlines data collected by the CDC about child fast-food consumption from 2011-2012. The statistics break down age groups between children 2-11 years old and adolescents 12-17 years old, with the latter age group consuming 17% of their calories from fast food.  Frequent fast-food visits for kids results in a higher amount of calories taken in, but with a poorer nutritional value. These number raise alarm as the childhood obesity issue carries on, with the appearance of chronic disease usually not seen until adulthood. It also puts emphasis on the power fast-food companies have with this market and the opportunity they have to market healthier products. The article encourages parents to ...

Since 2003, a growing number of states have enacted policies to regulate competitive foods, which are foods/be verages sold outside of the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Program. 1 Competitive foods include snacks/beverages sold in vending machines or at school stores or snack bars, and a la carte items (i.e., pizza, French fries, ice cream). According to a 2009 Trust for America’s Health (TFAH) analysis, 29 states set limitations while 27 states set nutrition standards for competitive foods. 2 There is some evidence that setting standards for competitive foods and beverages in schools leads to “healthier school food environments, student dietary intake, and student weight status”. 1 Competitive foods are more common at middle- and high schools. 3 Most nationwide studies, especially in regards to competitive food policies, have focused its research on the general population, but not their impact on health disparities and school food/beverage environment.in low-income ...

Rovner, A.J., Nansel, T.R., Wang, J., & Iannatti, R.J. (2011). Food in school vending machines is associated with overall student dietary intake. Journal of Adolescent Health, 48, 13-19. The purpose of the study was to examine the food sold in vending machines at school and the associated dietary behavior of students. The results indicated that 83% of schools had vending machines that primarily sold foods with minimal nutrient value (soft drinks, chips, and sweets). Along with this, having food available in vending machines influenced the dietary behaviors in younger students. Older grades were not significantly influenced – this supports the belief that dietary behaviors are primarily created while students are younger. Another interesting result discovered was that students with higher family affluence reported greater consumption of fruits/vegetables than students with lower family affluence. Dietitians in the community setting can utilize this information even if they ...

Food insecurity is a nutrition concern across the entire globe including right here in the United States. Food insecurity is defined as the lack of access to food for an active and healthy life (Holben & Taylor, 536). This is a preventable nutrition concern, however lack of basic access to food affects 14.3 percent of all U.S. households and 19.5 percent of households with children (Holben & Taylor, 536). Food insecurity is becoming more and more of a concern, "the number of households with severely low levels of food security among children almost doubled between 2003 and 2010" said Holben. The purpose of this study was to look at the effects of food insecurity. The researchers administered the National Health and Nutritional Examination survey to a sample of adolescents aged 12 to 18. More than 7,500 participants were interviewed and given  physical exams between 1999 and 2006. The study found that participants of households considered marginally low, low, and ver...

Millennials are all about that recipe-based grocery shopping. In 2014, the Food Marketing Institute (FMI), which is a nonprofit that supports food retail industries, reported Millennials are more interested in the last-minute, rushed, spur-of-the-moment approach to shopping than previous generations. Nearly 25% of meals purchased are eaten the same day, the FMI found. Christina Miller, MS, RD weighed in, saying this a good thing; this generation places much greater emphasis on purchasing fresh. Millennials are more interested in buying organic, natural and locally grown products (Peregrin, 2015). Educating recipe-based shoppers effectively is about staying up to date on trends. “Many millennials enjoy watching food shows and cooking with trendy, new food items,” Julie McMillin, RD, LD, director of health and wellness at Hy-Vee, said. Millennials are more interested in nutrition. Particular emphasis is given to mainstream foods (quinoa, Iroquois white corn, Einkorn wheat, Duborskian r...

       In the March issue of Today’s Dietitian , Denise Webb highlights a newer and upcoming career path for dietitians!   According to a Food Marketing Institute survey, 85% of supermarkets have a dietitian on staff and include stores like Hy-Vee, Wakefern, and HEB.   RD’s are able to bridge the gap in community health by the following: influencing customers to purchase healthier options, educating on cheaper/healthier foods, increasing exposure to new foods by having taste tastes/samples, and providing shopping lists for those families with health concerns (diabetes, celiac, hypertension, etc.).        It has been difficult to assess the effectiveness and impact that dietitians play on customers.   Most retailers will assess RD’s through social media impressions, coupons redemption, inventory measures, sales, and customer feedback.   Some stores are taking it a...

Argon, P., Berends, V., Ellis, K., & Gonzalez, M. (2010). School wellness policies: Perceptions, barriers, and needs among school leaders and wellness advocates. Journal of School Health, 80:11, 527-535.   The purpose of this study was to determine perceptions, barriers, and opportunities regarding the development, implementation, and monitoring/evaluation of school wellness policies among school board members, state board members and associated leaders, state public health nutrition directors, and school wellness advocates. The major barriers identified included funding (for additional staff -- PE instructors, wellness directors, nurses, dietitians, and health instructors--, facilities, and materials) and ways to M/E programs. This article displayed that there is a great need for leaders on the state and local level to provide training/resources to school districts on wellness topics (PE, Nutrition, Nutrition Ed, etc.) as well as strategies for implementing M&E...