January, National Oatmeal Month

Oatmeal is ground oat groats or porridge made from oats. Oatmeal can also be ground oats, steel-cut oats, crushed oats, or rolled oats.

Health Benefits

Consumption of oatmeal is known to help lower blood cholesterol because of its soluble fiber content. The popularity of oatmeal and oat products increased after January 1997 when the Food and Drug Administration allowed labels to claim it may reduce the risk of heart disease when combined with a low-fat diet.

Nutrition Information

Ingredients

3/4 cup Oatmeal, cooked
1/3 cup Raspberries

Steel Cut Oatmeal: Healthy Snack Ideas
St. Louis Children's Hospital

Resources and References
1. Wikipedia: Oatmeal
2. WebMD: Heartier Benefits Seen From Oatmeal

Nutritional Analysis Services

Ensure accurate and cost effective nutritional analysis and food nutrition facts labels for your recipes and menus utilizing an extensive research database. A great service for the Media, Cookbook Publishers, Writers, Chefs, Recipe Websites and Blogs. Your readers will enjoy and benefit from the Nutrition information.

For more information, visit Dietitians-Online Nutritional Analysis Services

contact:
Sandra Frank, Ed.D, RDN, LN, FAND
recipenews@gmail.com
954-294-6300

Rid the World of Fad Diets and Gimmicks

Fad Diets

Fad diets usually refer to unconventional eating patterns promoting short-term weight loss, usually with no concern for long-term weight control. These diets become quickly popular and just as quickly lose appeal. Fad diets generally disregard or refute what is known about the basic association between dietary patterns and human health. Extreme fad diets may lack energy, protein, vitamins and minerals essential for growing children.

How to Spot a Fad Diet
Does the food plan make any of the following Claims or Statements?
1. Recommends a quick fix solution.
2. Sounds too good to be true.
3. Recommendations based on a single study.
4. Recommendations that ignore the differences between people.
5. Requires you buy a product or the program will not work.
6. Eliminates one or more of the food groups.
7. Draws simple conclusions from a complex study.
8. Dramatic results questioned by established scientific communities (Academy DA, AMA, NIH, etc..)

HCG: Dangerous to Dieters

This is an Example of a Fad Diet and it can Kill You!
The Tapeworm Diet

Resources

1. Staying Away from Fad Diets, Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics

2. Green Mountain at Fox Run,  Healthy Weight Week

National Granola Bar Day

Granola bars consist of granola pressed and baked into a bar shape, resulting in the production of a convenient snack. The product is most popular in the United States and Canada, Australia and New Zealand, the United Kingdom, parts of southern Europe, Brazil, Israel, South Africa, and Japan. Granola bars have expanded its market into India and other southeast Asian countries.

Recipe: Apricot-Sunflower Granola Bars
EatingWell

Resources
1. Good Housekeeping, 28 Healthy Granola Bars to Fuel Your Day

New England Clam Chowder Day

New England Clam Chowder

Yield: 4 servings
Serving Size: about 1 cup

Ingredients:
1 can Select Harvest New England Clam Chowder, 98% Fat free
2 cups fat-free, low sodium vegetable broth
Garnish each serving with
1 Tbsp Green Onions
1.5 Tbsp cooked Lentils
8 Oyster Crackers

Directions 
Combine New England Clam Chowder with low sodium vegetable broth. Heat to serving temperature. Garnish with green onions, cooked lentils, and oyster crackers.

Nutrition Information

Recipe Card

Modifying a Recipe to Meet Nutritional Needs.

Goals: 

1. Easy to prepare recipe (related to arthritis; difficulty cutting foods).
2. Lower Sodium (related to hypertension; family history). Canned soups are usually high in sodium. Used a low sodium vegetable broth to reduce the sodium in the chowder.
3. Increase Fiber (related to diverticulosis). Added cooked lentils.
4. Maintain calories around 100 calories per serving (related to weight control)
5. Easy to Chew (related to new dentures).  
6. Low in Cholesterol (related to history of elevated blood cholesterol; family history)

Healthy Weight Week

This week is Healthy Weight Week. During Healthy Weight Week attention is focused on Lifelong Healthy Habits; Self-Esteem; Weight Bias; Fad Diets and Gimmicks; Women’s Healthy Weight; Health at any Size and Professional Resources. The goals are to prevent eating disorders and weight problems.

What is Healthy Weight Week?

Frances M. "Francie" Berg, MS, LN is the founder of Healthy Weight Week. She is a licensed nutritionist, family wellness specialist and adjunct professor at the University of North Dakota School Of Medicine. Francie is the author of 12 books and the founder, editor, and publisher of the Healthy Weight Journal (established in 1986).

Mission
"Healthy Weight Network (HWN) provides a critical link between research and practical application on weight and eating issues. Recognizing weight is a complex condition of increasing concern throughout the world, the HWN is committed to bringing together scientific information from many sources, reporting controversial issues in a clear, objective manner and the ongoing search for truth and understanding.

Recognizing weight is easily exploitable health and social concern, the HWN is committed to exposing deception, reshaping detrimental social attitudes, and promoting health at any size. Our mission is to be a voice of integrity and insight in a field that has been much abused and neglected."

Francie M. Berg, MS, LN

Every Girl Is Beautiful / Self-Esteem PSA

Do You Think I'm Fat?
A Public Service Announcement from the
National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA).
For help visit http://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/ 

Healthy Weight Week Resources

Celebrating Healthy Weight Week by looking at Weight Bias, Body Image, Self-Esteem, Lifelong Healthy Habits, Identifying Fad Diets and Beauty Comes in All Sizes and Shapes.





It is crucial to continue research and education. Eating disorder or disordered eating affects up to 24 million Americans and 70 million individuals worldwide.  (Renfrew Center Foundation for Eating Disorders, Eating Disorders 101 Guide: A Summary of Issues, Statistics, and Resources, October 2003)

Anorexia is the 3rd most common chronic illness among adolescents. (Public Health Service's Office in Women's Health, Eating Disorder Information Sheet, 2000).

20% of people suffering from anorexia will prematurely die from complications related to their eating disorder, including suicide and heart problems. (Renfrew Center Foundation for Eating Disorders, "Eating Disorders 101 Guide: A Summary of Issues, Statistics and Resources," published September 2002, revised October 2003).

It is estimated currently 11% of high school students have been diagnosed with an eating disorder. (National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders) 

Resources and Support

Healthy Weight Network provides information and resources pertaining to “health at any size”. Green Mountain at Fox Run, sponsor of Healthy Weight Week. Green Mountain at Fox Run is the country's first and oldest all-women's educational community for weight and health management. It is nationally recognized as an effective solution for ending struggles with eating and weight through the “non-diet” approach it pioneered.

National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA) provides education, resources and support for those individuals and families affected by eating disorders, and serves to prevent, cure and access quality care. NEDA sponsors events, programs and research on eating disorders, and contains a section on its site featuring recent news articles and information.

Academy for Eating Disorders (AED). The Academy for Eating Disorders aims to provide comprehensive information on the facts of eating disorders, treatment plans and education to prevent others from developing eating disorders.

Alliance of Eating Disorders Awareness was created as a source of community outreach, education, awareness and prevention of various eating disorders. Their goal is to spread the message, recovery from these disorders is possible, and individuals should not have to suffer or recover alone.

Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.  Provides nutrition resources about eating disorders, including an extensive nutrition reading list. 

Obesity Society is the leading scientific society dedicated to the study of obesity. They are committed to encouraging research on the causes and treatment of obesity, and to keeping the medical community and public informed of new advances. AOA provides obesity awareness and prevention information.

Binge Eating Disorder Association (BEDA) is the national organization focusing on increased prevention, diagnosis, and treatment for Binge Eating Disorder.

Council on Size and Weight Discrimination, Inc. An activist group influencing public opinion and policy through education, information and networking.

Eating Disorders Anonymous (EDA). A 12 step self-help fellowship for anorexics and bulimics. EDA offers membership to any person who needs help recovering from an eating disorder. The site has meetings around the United States, publications, recovery information, EDA news and helpful links to other sites.

Eating Disorders Coalition.  The goal of Eating Disorders Coalition is to "advance the federal recognition of eating disorders as a public health priority." The nonprofit organization lists the federal policy on its website, congressional briefings, events, information/resources on eating disorders and a blog.

Eating Disorders Information Network (EDIN) is a nonprofit organization committed to the prevention of all types of disordered eating, from obesity to anorexia, and the promotion of positive body-esteem through education, outreach and action.

Eating Disorder Referral and Information Center (EDRIC) includes links to sites which provide additional information on eating disorders and related topics.

Eating Disorders Resource Center (EDRC) is a non-profit organization that links resources, information and support for eating disorders in Silicon Valley. The mission of EDRC is to increase awareness and understanding of eating disorders for the general public and health professionals; to promote early diagnosis, effective treatment, and recovery; and to advocate for mental health legislation and effective insurance coverage. EDRC offers a comprehensive, online resource directory.

F.E.A.S.T.  Families Empowered and Supporting Treatment of Eating Disorders is an international organization providing support to families and friends of those suffering from eating disorders. The site announces events and conferences, groups around the world, treatment providers, online caregivers and current news.

International Association of Eating Disorders Professionals (IAEDP) is well recognized for its excellence in providing education and training standards to an international multidisciplinary group of various healthcare treatment providers and helping professions, who treat the full spectrum of eating disorder problems.

Kristen Watt Foundation provides support for those suffering with eating disorders. The site has sections for parents, friends and coaches. They are dedicated to increasing awareness of eating disorders, education and treatment.

Multi-Service Eating Disorders Association (MEDA) is a nonprofit organization working to prevent and treat eating disorders. Their aim is to do this through early detection and increased public awareness. This site has events listed, resources and a place for individuals to join the organization.

National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders (ANAD) seeks to alleviate the problems of eating disorders by educating the public and healthcare professionals, encouraging research, and sharing resources on all aspects of these disorders. Their website includes information on finding support groups, referrals, treatment centers, advocacy and background on eating disorders.

National Institute of Mental Health: Eating Disorders provides information on anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge-eating disorder, the affect eating disorders can have on men, treatment options and helpful resources and links.

Perfect Illusions. Discover what an eating disorder is, find help and resources, and look into the lives of several individuals and their families who are struggling with the consequences of anorexia and bulimia.

The Renfrew Center. Residential treatment facility specializing in eating disorders (anorexia, bulimia and binge eating disorders) and related mental health issues. The Renfrew Center is a women's mental health center with locations in Philadelphia and Radnor, Pennsylvania; Coconut Creek, Florida; New York City; Old Greenwich, Connecticut; Ridgewood, New Jersey; Charlotte, North Carolina, Nashville, TN, Dallas, TX, and Bethesda, MD.

Womenshealth.gov The National Women's Health Information Center is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The site has information on body image, cosmetic surgery, eating disorders, and a list of links to various informational websites.

A Look at Weight Bias, Healthy Weight Week

During Healthy Weight Week, the issue of Weight Bias is addressed. The three videos reviewed look at this subject from the academic perspective, a personal view and government intervention. Though the videos discuss weight bias in relationship to overweight and obesity, the very thin often are a target of weight bias.

Weight Bias
Overweight and obese youth frequently are teased, harassed and mistreated because of their weight. Weight-related teasing ("weight bias") can have a damaging impact on both emotional and physical health. The Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity at Yale University (http://www.yaleruddcenter.org) created this video to help parents and teachers understand the severity and impacts of weight bias in school and at home and to present strategies to help combat this problem for overweight teens and pre-adolescents.

The video host is celebrity, model and activist Emme and features Rudd Center experts: Dr. Rebecca Puhl and Dr. Kelly Brownell. The obstacles overweight and obese youth encounter with weight bias is presented using expert commentary and dramatic representation.

Discrimination Against Overweight People

"My old suitemate inspired me to make this as my final project freshman year. When she broke out of her shell and felt good about herself, her personality really began to shine. Everyone we lived with started to see past her "big girl" exterior and opened up to her more. We had creative freedom wth our final project so I decided to look at various aspects of the discrimination against larger individuals."

Should Weight Discrimination Be Illegal?

Resources:

1. Healthy Weight Network
2. Understanding Size Bias, a Conversation with Rebecca Puhl

3. The Canadian Summit on Weight Bias and Discrimination