Issue 21:2 of Topics in Clinical Nutrition focuses on several priorities of interest to clinical dietitians. Nutrition trends and recommendations are highlighted with a particular emphasis on obesity and prediabetes. The issue begins with a thorough and timely review by Wien. She clarifies the diagnosis and nutrition intervention for patients with prediabetes. She carefully reviews the dietary patterns that may assist in managing prediabetes and its potential complications and identifies some of the gaps in the current evidence available to prevent or delay the development of type 2 diabetes mellitus.
Sharron Dalton, author of Our Overweight Children, has presented the past, present, and future trends surrounding obesity and weight management. The historical highlights and milestones are discussed in relation to practices today and where we might move in the future. Many scenarios are envisioned, but it is almost certain that behavioral change, physical activity, and a healthy diet will remain the cornerstone of viable solutions to the worldwide problem.
Touger-Decker goes even further in asserting that obesity is everyone's crisis. She challenges us to confront the dichotomy of increased patient needs and decreased intervention by healthcare providers. Many helpful suggestions are directed to the practitioner.
Tulkki and her colleagues examined the body image, diets, and anthropometrics indices of children, aged 9-12 years, in Athens, Ohio. The study found that dissatisfaction with body image was common and suggested that dietitians need to address these issues in both males and females. Use of appropriate messages and educational materials could help protect children from future dieting pathology.
Guarracino et al examined selected health benefits of yoga participation in volunteers in 4 community settings. Seventy participants completed a survey that included a mood scale. There was a trend toward health benefits from participation in hatha and relaxation yoga, particularly for those who had been practicing yoga for more than a year, and further research is warranted.
Portion size estimation has intrigued nutrition professionals in the past decade. Schwartz and Byrd-Bredbenner had young adults estimate portion sizes of some of the common foods consumed in the American diet. The participants had difficulty determining portion sizes. The findings indicate that young adults (16-26 years of age) need more opportunities to learn how to estimate the volume of food consumed and the caloric content of selected foods.
Effective nutrition screening in acute care has been emphasized for practitioners since the mid-1970s although the process was originally applied in epidemiological studies. Brown et al compared an institutional screening form in a Minnesota medical center with 4 validated nutrition screening tools. They identified areas for improving their own communications about the screening process within the medical center.
McCowan and Edelstein studied ultraendurance triathletles (51 females) to determine their carbohydrate intakes during a rigorous training period. Dietary intakes were assessed via 24-hour diet recalls. Their mean carbohydrate intake was less than 50% of their recommended estimates. The authors concluded that nutritional guidance and education on carbohydrate sources in the diet are as important as physical training for success in ultraendurance triathlons.
Cason et al conducted focus groups with Hispanic migrant workers in 5 counties in Pennsylvania to look at nutrition, food choices, food sufficiency practices, and nutrition education. Participants in all the focus groups indicated dramatic changes in eating habits since coming to the United States. On the basis of the interviews, the authors concluded that participants' food and nutrition information needs were similar to those of residents of other states with a sizable Hispanic community of migrant workers.
Thank you for your feedback and contributions to Topics in Clinical Nutrition. Please let us know if you want to be an author or reviewer for future issues. We appreciate the work that Lippincott, Williams and Wilkins did in designing our new cover with the theme Changing the Face of Dietetics.
Judith A. Gilbride, PhD, RD, FADA, CDN, Editor