Meet Food Fighter: Angie Stackhouse

      Here Angie’s story on food access and health: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zYfSta-XQWg

Local Group Kickoff National Nutrition Month

by Tambra Stevenson

WASHINGTON, DC—In celebration of National Nutrition Month and Registered Dietitian Day, the DC Metro Area Dietetic Association, an affiliate of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (Academy), will host an event at the IONA House in northwest Washington on March 14^th at 6:30pm.

In the US Obesity Trends 2011 report, the U.S. Centers for Disease and Control and Prevention finds that poor nutrition is a major contributing factor to the obesity epidemic in America with over 30 percent of US adults and about 17 percent of youth are obese. Locally the District of Columbia ranks in the top 10 states in America for high rates of childhood obesity according to the F as in Fat: How Obesity Threatens America’s Future 2011 report.

That’s why the Academy  (formerly the American Dietetic Association) launches the annual nutrition educational campaign in March.  This year’s theme is “Get Your Plate in Shape” to encourage balanced nutritious meals.

In educating the public about the shift from the My Pyramid to the My Plate, the Academy and local groups like DCMADA and the Student Dietetic Association at the University of the District of Columbia host public outreach efforts to promote evidence-based nutrition information for people to improve their lives.

Like My Plate, the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2010 recommend eating whole foods: fruits, vegetables, grains, seafood and low-fat dairy. And they also encourage reducing sodium, added sugars, trans fats, and refined grains. Every five years the U.S. Department of Agriculture along with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services reviews and adopts the guidelines.

To attend the DCMADA event, register online at http://dcmadanutritionmonth2012.eventbrite.com/. To get more nutrition tips, visit National Nutrition Month‘s website. In addition this month, Academy members will be voting for a new President and Board. The deadline is this Saturday. Voting is online at http://www.eatright.org/elections/.

Program Agenda

Keynote Speaker

Jessica Donze Black, MPH, RD, Director, Kids Safe and Healthful Food Project – The Pew Charitable Trusts

“Setting Consumers’ Tables with MyPlate: The Critical Role of RDs”

Robert C. Post, Ph.D, M.Ed, M.Sc, Deputy Director of USDA’s Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion (CNPP) and responsible for overseeing the planning, development, review and promotion of the new MyPlate consumer communications initiative

“What’s On Our Seniors’ Plates?”

Rose Clifford, RD, LD, MBA, Owner, Corn Hill Consulting LLC and nutrition consultant at IONA Senior Services

“Serving Farm-Fresh Food in Schools and Getting Kids to Eat It!”

Andrea Northup, Director of the DC Farm to School Network and advocate for getting healthy, local foods and food education into DC schools.

Tambra Stevenson is the President of the Student Dietetic Association at the University of the District of Columbia. Follow her on Twitter at @tambra.