FNCE report
by Deborah J David RD
Deborah David represented NHD Magazine at the ADA annual Food and Nutrition Conference, the largest nutrition and dietetic professional event in the world. The 2009 Conference, held in Denver in October carried the theme ‘Explore. Exchange. Engage’. It certainly met all Deborah’s expectations…
American Dietetic Association Food and Nutrition Conference and Expo, 2009 Imagine my surprise when, emerging bleary-eyed on the first morning after a nine-hour flight, I was greeted by the sight of a 40ft blue bear peering into the main entrance of the Colorado Convention Centre. The steel structure artwork is the creation of Professor Lawrence Argent and is called ‘I See What You Mean’. The inquisitive looking bear prompts a desire to get inside and find out what’s occurring, so I did. The opening ceremony of the conference relayed the information that over 10,000 delegates had already passed through registration. After that, there must have been even more, as people seemed to be arriving non-stop for the chance to attend the sessions and to network with others from all over the US and elsewhere. I was informed that I was the only UK delegate (quite an honour), though whilst I didn’t meet any other UK delegates, it did seem hard to believe. In preparation for the conference, I studied the packed programme. At any one time, there were up to 13 parallel sessions and with breakfast and evening meetings for specialist interest groups, culinary demonstrations, as well as the Expo Hall. Being selective about what to attend was essential. With my ‘press’ badge on display, I made sure I included some press briefings in my schedule - a first for me. Latest trends and technologies The EXPO was awesome! There were over 350 companies represented with stands and speciality pavilions where conference members were able to update on latest trends and technologies and fill up their conference bags and baskets with resources to take back home. After all the tasting sessions of new innovative products on healthy eating, I was glad of the 20-minute walk back to my accommodation at the end of each day. Many of the food product stands this year were promoting high fibre in line with recent US consumer research which indicates that Americans are falling short on fibre and are confused about wholegrain foods. Sound familiar? A food can be wholegrain and not high in fibre; therefore it is essential to recommend ‘high fibre and wholegrain’ to consumers. The main programme kicked off with three interesting sessions on ‘Sustainability and Greening’. A hot topic on ‘Organic versus Conventional Food Production’ urged dietitians to become advocates for organic production, to encourage patients to increase intake of fruit and vegetables and to be active agents in the community. A second session explored food insecurity where individuals living in low-income neighbourhoods have limited access to affordable foods. As dietitians here in the UK know from experience, no matter how much information dietitians provide to their patients, it will have little effect if resources are unavailable in the community. Through NHDmag.com Dec '09/Jan '10 - issue 50
descriptions of US projects in Baltimore, Maryland and Philadelphia, it was shown that by changing the ‘built environment’, we can transform the food environment and facilitate healthy eating in socially acceptable ways. ‘Do more with less’… A third session entitled ‘Be Well, Live Well: Eating that Is Healthy for You and the Earth’ described how our food choices impact on the environment and our health. The audience was shocked to hear that the production of one cup of latte coffee needs more than 200 litres of water in terms of ingredients, packaging and distribution. Also, 60 percent of water used in the US for private consumption is wasted, as is 40 percent of the food purchased. It is clear that some drastic actions are needed in order to change individual habits and, with increasing demand from developing countries such as India and China, we need new sustainable ways to ‘do more with less’. In this ‘me’ orientated culture of today, there needs to be a balance between nutrition and the environment. Dietitians need to be part of the dialogue, as a nutrition resource, to think of new ways to educate the community. It was emphasised that dietitians need to expand their horizons and be comfortable with questions/discussions on a range of topics including agriculture. A further interesting session relating to sustainability was on the topic of the ‘The Role of the Dietitian in the Green Movement’. Kathy Kress RD and Nancy Hudson RD from the University of California outlined how production of food in the US has become increasingly dependent on non-renewable energy and mineral resources which are not environmentally sustainable. As dietitians, we can stimulate interest and influence the community by ‘starting small – going big’. For example, we can build teams in the community, promote local organic produce and use local organisations to network with schools, colleges and farmers’ markets to expand sustainable practices. It was very encouraging and refreshing to hear enthusiastic speakers supporting each other in their approaches to address the challenges of sustainability. Tackling obesity A final session on sustainability issues examined the political, environmental and economic factors contributing to the global food challenge and how we as dietitians can encourage uptake of a quality diet. Dr Eileen Kennedy of Tufts University and Dr William Masters of Purdue University described how these challenges are not just in the US but are global. In the 1950s, consumers got what they asked for: cheaper food, more leisure time and higher incomes. As in the UK, the trend in the US since the 1970s in obesity has been upward as a result of low cost, high energy dense foods, with a concurrent decrease in physical activity. In the developed world, the lowest income groups are more predisposed to 33
