Nutrition Viewpoint: April 2009 Archives

April 30, 2009 9:48 PM

Next Up? Pass the Salt

Approximately 75% of salt intake comes from prepared and processed foods such as bread, cheese, meat, sauces and soups. For several months, the city of New York has been talking about taking steps to lower salt intake among its citizens and visitors. Last week, city officials announced more meetings with food makers and restaurants to discuss reducing the amount of salt in common foods such as soup, pasta sauce, salad dressing and bread. The city's effort is modeled on a voluntary salt reduction campaign in the United Kingdom. The goal is to cut salt intake by about 20% over the next five years. New York City's initiative could become the model for an effort to reduce sodium nationwide.

Earlier today, I listened to some of the 2010 Dietary Guidelines Committee deliberations. Reducing sodium consumption was one of the challenges the committee addressed. I was particularly impressed with comments made by Frank M. Sacks, MD, a Harvard cardiologist. Dr. Sacks was chair of the design committee of the DASH Study and chair of the steering committee for the DASH-Sodium trial.

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By Susan Finn on April 30, 2009 9:48 PM | No Comments

April 24, 2009 11:17 PM

One More Thought . . . on Health Care Transformation

For the last couple days, I have been blogging about where the common ground is for nutrition professionals and the food and beverage industry in the transformation of health care in America. Where can we best join forces to advance mutual goals? As I wrote earlier, promoting health literacy and advancing patient-centered care strike me as two areas where collaboration would result in an all-around win.

Strong partnerships in both of these areas would greatly facilitate operationalizing a model of care that the American Dietetic Association and other professional groups call the "medical home" model - that is, accessible, continuous, comprehensive, compassionate, culturally effective, community-based primary care designed to promote the healthy development and well being of the public. (Click here for a March 2007 consensus paper on the patient-centered medical home concept from four leading physician organizations.)

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By Susan Finn on April 24, 2009 11:17 PM | No Comments

April 23, 2009 11:16 PM

More on the Manifesto: Health Literacy

In my last posting, I talked about a Manifesto for Health Care Transformation. Today, I am revisiting that concept -- specifically, the tenet that health care must be patient-centered, with the responsibility for important aspects of self-care and monitoring in the patient's hands -- along with the tools and support needed to carry out that responsibility. This is a core principles of health care transformation and one that nutrition professionals and the food and beverage industry can own.

I say "transformation" because as it stands today, the axis on which our health care system revolves is crisis intervention and disease care. It will take more than incremental reform to create a strong, equitable, nimble system centered on disease prevention, wellness and promoting healthy lifestyles. It will take transformation.

In contrast to care that is disease-focused, patient-centered care customizes treatment recommendations in response to patient preferences and beliefs. Clinician decisions are informed by an understanding of patient needs and understanding of their environment, which includes personal dynamics such as home life, job, family relationships and cultural background. Informed, shared decision making depends on patient knowledge, self-management skills and preventive behaviors.

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By Susan Finn on April 23, 2009 11:16 PM | No Comments

April 22, 2009 11:14 PM

A Manifesto for Health Care Transformation

An extra -busy travel schedule has kept me away from this blog for too long. Along the way, on planes, trains and automobiles, I've been thinking about topics and jotting down my ideas to share with you.

I recently reread an American Dietetic Association's task force report, which lays out the standards and policies ADA will use to evaluate government health care reform proposals. This time, I read the tenets with a much broader focus and realized that they represent a manifesto that the food and beverage industry as a whole would do well to adopt. Here are the standards and policies collapsed into five principles:
1. The health of all Americans should improve as a result of health policy choices.
2. The vital and unique role that nutrition plays in improving and maintaining health should be explicit in US health policy.
3. The right to quality health care includes access to healthy food and qualified nutritional health professionals.
4. Nutrition services, from pre-conception through end of life, are an essential component of comprehensive health care. These services include health maintenance, wellness, disease prevention and early detection, delay in disease progression, and intervention in chronic care management.
5. Health care must be patient-centered, with the responsibility for important aspects of self-care and monitoring in the patient's hands -- along with the tools and support needed to carry out that responsibility.

Pretty much sums it up, don't you think? More on this next time.

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By Susan Finn on April 22, 2009 11:14 PM | No Comments

April 20, 2009 11:13 PM

Is There a Sweet Spot in Energy Balance?

In an analysis of National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), 1999-2004, data conducted by Nutrition Impact, LLC*, and funded by the National Confectioners Association (NCA), no association was found between candy consumption and chronic negative health outcomes, such as overweight and obesity, in children and adults. In fact, the data showed that children who consumed candy had lower body weights than children who reported eating no candy. The analysis was presented at the 2009 Experimental Biology Conference in New Orleans yesterday.

NCA gave me a sneak peak at the study, and I weighed in with my perspective on the findings in their public announcement. While at first blush these findings may seem counterintuitive, I think the analysis is a dramatic demonstration of the American Dietetic Association's position that "the total diet or overall pattern of food eaten is the most important focus of a healthful eating style. All foods can fit within this pattern, if consumed in moderation with appropriate portion size and combined with regular physical activity." Regardless of where calories come from, energy balance is the central issue in weight management. Should candy be substituted for nutrient-rich foods? No. Can an appropriate portion of candy, used as discretionary calories, be part of a healthy diet? Yes.

Continue reading Is There a Sweet Spot in Energy Balance?.

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By Susan Finn on April 20, 2009 11:13 PM | No Comments