Editor's Note - November 2013
It’s that time of year again! The holidays are around the corner and soon your patients will be faced with temptation in the form of pumpkin pie, deep-fried turkey, and eggnog. So, let this be a reminder that nutrition education is perhaps the most underutilized, yet cost-effective, tool that practitioners can pass along to their patients.
At the 2013 Primary Care Cardiometabolic Risk Summit this past month in Las Vegas, Nevada, celebrity chef and consulting dietitian for the Philadelphia Phillies, Katie Cavuto Boyle, MS, RD, asked attendees to blindly select the grains that best contribute to heart health. The take-away: A simple dietary adjustment, from refined grains to whole grains for example, can translate to a notable difference in the glycemic index—and save your patients money as well!
Fewer than 1 in 3 adults and an even lower proportion of adolescents eat the recommended amount of vegetables each day.1 Additionally, a majority of adults (81.6%) and adolescents (81.8%) do not get the recommended amount of physical activity.2
The impact: Approximately 1 in 3 adults (34%) and 1 in 6 children and adolescents (16.2%) are obese.3
Experts emphasize that it is important to review healthy food choices and promote good nutrition, along with regular physical activity, to patients of every age at every appointment.
Sincerely,
Pooja Shah
Managing Editor, Consultant and Consultant360
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References
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. State Indicator Report on Fruits and Vegetables. Atlanta, GA: 2009. Available at www.fruitsandveggiesmatter.gov/health_professionals/statereport.html. Accessed October 2013.
- US Department of Health and Human Services. Physical activity guidelines for Americans. Washington, DC: 2008. Available at www.health.gov/PAGuidelines. Accessed October 2013.
- Nutrition, physical activity, and obesity. US Department of Health and Human Services. Available at: http://www.healthypeople.gov/2020/LHI/nutrition.aspx#one. Accessed October 2013.