NEWS

Nutrition experts to discuss variety of diets at conference

CHAPEL HILL -- More types of diets are available today than ever before – Dr. Atkins’ Diet Revolution, Sugar Busters, The Zone and Dr. Ornish’s Program for Reversing Heart Disease are just a few of the compelling contenders.

An upcoming conference at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill William and Ida Friday Center for Continuing Education will provide information on the numbers of Americans who use these popular diets and provide profiles of these populations. Researchers also will present findings on the need for protein, not only the daily amount but also the distribution between plant and animal sources.

The 27^th Annual Public Health Nutrition Update, to be held 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday (April 18), is sponsored by the department of nutrition (housed in the UNC schools of public health and medicine) and the School of Public Health’s North Carolina Institute for Public Health. The Institute of Nutrition, a non-profit, interinstitutional and multidisciplinary organization of UNC faculty and administrators, has provided additional support.

Dr. John Anderson, a professor of nutrition and conference organizer, said popular diets today result in weight loss when calories are reduced, but "what is less clear is the long-term maintenance of weight loss and the long-term effects.

"Also, the control of blood glucose is more of an issue today," Anderson added, "and there’s controversy about vitamin supplements for these diets, as well as the question of how much protein we really should have or need. It makes for many lively discussions."

Speakers include Stacey Dunn-Emke from the Preventive Medicine Research Institute in Sausalito, Calif., who will discuss low-fat diets; and Dr. G. Harvey Anderson from the University of Toronto, who will discuss protein. Representatives from Duke University and experts from the Rice Diet Program (affiliated with Duke University Medical Center) also are on the program.

The conference is geared primarily for nutritionists and those who work in related fields, but registration is open to the general public. The program fee is $95, with a $25 fee for students.

For more information, click on www.sph.unc.edu/oce or call (919) 966-4032.

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Note: Contact Anderson at jjb_anderson@unc.edu

N.C. Institute for Public Health contact: Bev Holt at (919) 966-6274 or bev_holt@unc.edu

School of Public Health contact: Lisa Katz at (919) 966-7467 or lisa_katz@unc.edu