Nutrition Education And Training Of Health Professionals

As the general public has become more aware of advances in nutrition, consumer demands for advice on matters of diet and disease have grown. This book offers recommendations to upgrade what were found to be largely inadequate nutrition programs in U.S. medical schools in order that health professionals be better qualified to advise and treat their patients. A comprehensive study of one-third of American 4-year undergraduate medical schools provided information on the current status of nutrition programs at each school. Conclusions were drawn and recommendations made from analysis of this gathered information. Questions examined in this volume include: Has medical education kept pace with advances in nutrition science? Are medical students equipped to convey sound nutritional advice to their patients? What strategies are needed to initiate and sustain adequate teaching of nutrition in medical schools?

Written and organized to be accessible to a wide range of readers, Improving America's Diet and Health explores how Americans can be persuaded to adopt healthier eating habits. Moving well beyond the "pamphlet and public service announcement" approach to dietary change, this volume investigates current eating patterns in this country, consumers' beliefs and attitudes about food and nutrition, the theory and practice of promoting healthy behaviors, and needs for further research. The core of the volume consists of strategies and actions targeted to sectors of societyâ€"government, the private sector, the health professions, the education communityâ€"that have special responsibilities for encouraging and enabling consumers to eat better. These recommendations form the basis for three principal strategies necessary to further the implementation of dietary recommendations in the United States.

Malnutrition and obesity are both common among Americans over age 65. There are also a host of other medical conditions from which older people and other Medicare beneficiaries suffer that could be improved with appropriate nutritional intervention. Despite that, access to a nutrition professional is very limited. Do nutrition services benefit older people in terms of morbidity, mortality, or quality of life? Which health professionals are best qualified to provide such services? What would be the cost to Medicare of such services? Would the cost be offset by reduced illness in this population? This book addresses these questions, provides recommendations for nutrition services for the elderly, and considers how the coverage policy should be approached and practiced. The book discusses the role of nutrition therapy in the management of a number of diseases. It also examines what the elderly receive in the way of nutrition services along the continuum of care settings and addresses the areas of expertise needed by health professionals to provide appropriate nutrition services and therapy.

Nutrition education may be defined as a combination of educational tactics accompanied by physical or environmental supports, the purpose of which is to encourage voluntary adoption of foods and other lifestyle behaviors that are beneficial to health. This book highlights the importance of nutrition education as an integral part of day-to-day life. The first part takes an in-depth look at what nutrition education is and how it can be used to influence various target populations. The second part explores the complexities of eating behavior, underscoring the importance of early childhood as a critical time for intervention. The final part focuses on nutrition education in medical schools, highlighting the latest educational technologies being used in curricula, as well as methods for bringing nutrition to the clinic. The insights presented in this book cover the basis of how nutrition interventions can be designed and delivered to improve food choices and, ultimately, an individual's health. The publication will be of great interest for educators, pediatricians, dietitians, public health, professionals, and policy makers.

The Complete Guide to Nutrition in Primary Care Edited by Darwin Deen, MD, MS Lisa Hark, PhD, RD Clinicians and patients agree that primary care office visits should include routine nutrition assessment and counseling. But how do you fit it into an already crowded consultation? And what is the most up-to-date advice? With The Complete Guide to Nutrition in Primary Care, Drs. Deen and Hark provide the necessary tools. This comprehensive overview of nutrition answers your questions on: • Nutrition as Preventive Medicine • Nutrition through the Lifecycle • Improving Health by Changing Diet and Lifestyle Behaviors • Vitamins, Minerals, Dietary Supplements, and the Alternative • Successful Changes to the Environment This timely paperback contains everything the primary care clinician needs to counsel patients on diet and lifestyle issues. Keep it close at hand for the frequent consultation it is sure to receive. Dr. Darwin Deen is one of the nation’s foremost authorities on nutrition. Currently Professor of Clinical, Family and Social Medicine and Director of Medical Student Education at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York, he has trained a generation of physicians on the connection between nutrition and health. He has played a leading role in revising medical school curricula to incorporate nutrition training. An award-winning teacher and noted author, he serves as Chair of the Task Force on Medical Nutrition Education of the American College of Nutrition and co-chairs the Group on Nutrition of the Society of Teachers of Family Medicine. His years of experience as a family physician make him perfectly suited to advise clinicians on counseling their patients on diet and lifestyle. Dr. Lisa Hark is a renowned family nutrition expert, with more than 20 years of experience in nutrition counseling and promoting the benefits of healthy eating in children and adults. As Director of the Nutrition Education Program at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine in Philadelphia, she developed a model medical school curriculum and textbook, Medical Nutrition and Disease, which has become one of the most widely used texts in nutrition education. She was given the Excellence in Medical/Dental Nutrition Education award from the American Society for Nutrition. Dr. Hark was also the host of the TV show, “Honey, We’re Killing the Kids,” which airs on TLC, and is a widely sought after speaker who communicates nutrition concepts effectively to health professionals, patients, and the media. www.blackwellmedicine.com