Lobbyists from Coca-Cola and other big soda companies have met with mayoral candidates and City Council members. Canvassers hired by the beverage industry are stopping New Yorkers on the street to solicit signatures on petitions. Facebook and Twitter pages tell readers to “say no to a #sodaban.”

GLASTONBURY, CT (May 30, 2012) – The Connecticut Dietetic Association (CDA) will officially change its name as of June 1^st, 2012. The Association will be known as the Connecticut Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

The name change comes as a result of changes at the national level. As of January 1, 2012, the long known American Dietetic Association became the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

According to a September 2011 letter written to the membership by the Academy President Sylvia A. Escott-Stump, a national survey revealed that members believed a name change was necessary to more accurately reflect what the organization and its members do. Members believe that the new name complements the organization’s focus on the nutritional well-being of the American public.

The new name was created in August 2011 and formally adopted in January 2012. The Connecticut affiliate of the Academy will begin to use its new name in June. Registered dietitians and registered dietetic technicians in CDA will continue to serve the CT public as the food and nutrition experts, enlightening and encouraging individuals and families about positive and healthy food choices for long term better health.

About CT Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics: The Connecticut Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics serves as the leading advocate of the dietetic profession in Connecticut, serving the public through promotion of optimal nutrition, health, and well-being. Membership includes registered dietitians, registered dietetic technicians, students, and retirees of the profession.  Chartered by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, they are committed to serving the public in the state of Connecticut, while supporting activities at the national and international level. For more information visit www.eatrightct.org. Press released also at Branford.Patch.com

Connecticut Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Supports Legislative Proposal Requiring Labels for Genetically Engineered Foods

The Connecticut Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics applauds efforts by the Legislature's Environment Committee for proposing legislation that would require labels for genetically engineered foods and modified products.

HB #5117, "AN ACT CONCERNING GENETICALLY ENGINEERED FOODS" would require the labeling of genetically-engineered foods and create further opportunities for genetically modified organism (GMO) farming and best practices for food products that are voluntarily labeled to indicate whether they include genetically engineered ingredients. The term "genetically engineered" refers to foods that are produced from organisms where their genetic material changed through various chemical applications.

If passed into law, this legislation would require that "genetically engineered" be clearly labeled and displayed on food packages or clearly marked next to the items being sold. Also, should the food be considered processed, it would need to be properly labeled with the wording "partially produced with genetic engineering" or "may be partially produced with genetic engineering."

The Connecticut Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics diligently and consistently works with the public to educate about food consumption, and Registered Dietitians and Dietetic Technicians teach and empower individuals and families to advocate for personal, healthy nutrition lifestyles and well-being. The Association strives for consumer protection and proper labeling of foods. These endeavors, coupled with further legislative efforts, will bring forth a more educated consumer.

"On behalf of the 1,000 members of the Connecticut Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, we strongly urge passage of this legislation. Consumers have a right to know what types of ingredients are in their foods," said Tina Fox Dugdale, President of The Connecticut Academy. "As a society we have one of the safest food supplies on the planet, and continue in the efforts to provide nutritious, healthy meals for our families, but we must not let up on the advocacy efforts that translate into knowledgeable and healthier consumers."

The CT Academy supports this legislative proposal and encourages the public to do so as well. For more information regarding this legislation visit: http://cga.ct.gov/asp/cgabillstatus/cgabillstatus.asp?selBillType=Bill&bill_num=5117&which_year=2012&SUBMIT1.x=0&SUBMIT1.y=0 .

For further information, contact:
Melissa Muszynski, (860) 652-0300, ext. 527
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About The Connecticut Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics: The Connecticut Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics serves as the leading advocate of the dietetic profession in Connecticut, serving the public through promotion of optimal nutrition, health, and well-being. Membership includes registered dietitians, registered dietetic technicians, students, and retirees of the profession. The Connecticut Academy is chartered by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, committed to serving the public in the state of Connecticut, while supporting activities at the national and international level.

Associated Press
February 15, 2012
HARTFORD, Conn.—
Connecticut school nutrition advocates said Wednesday they will once again be pushing lawmakers to expand the state's school breakfast program.

Last year, Gov. Dannel P. Malloy signed a bill that increased eligibility to grant funds for Connecticut schools with a high percentage of children from low-income families. The governor's current budget recommends that $2.2 million be spent on the program in the new fiscal year beginning on July 1.

Education Committee Co-Chair Rep. Andy Fleischmann, D-West Hartford, said he is proud of advancements that occurred last year, but is unsure of whether or not the school breakfast program will receive additional state funding again this session.

"We're still unearthing the budget situation," he said. "A lot of variables are uncertain at this point."

According to data from the Food Research and Action Center, Connecticut experienced 14 percent growth in program participation during the 2010-11 school year, with 66,995 children from low-income families eating breakfast at school. Despite this growth, less than 62 percent of schools in the state participated in both national school lunch and breakfast programs.

Connecticut State Department of Education spokesman Mark Linabury said currently 632 schools participate in the school breakfast program.

In an effort to increase school participation, Lucy Nolan, executive director of End Hunger Connecticut!, said her organization is advocating for changes to the school breakfast program. These changes include incorporating morning meals into the classroom and adding the option of "grab and go" meals.

"It's all about access," she said.

Currently the Hartford, Bridgeport and New Haven school districts qualify for universal free breakfast for children due to their percentage of low-income students. Nolan said that changing the program to incorporate meals into classrooms could reduce social stigma associated with receiving free breakfast and help increase the low student participation rates in those districts.

If the participation rate increases, Nolan said, it could bring in millions of dollars in additional federal funding.

Roberta Jacobs, the president of the state's School Nutrition Association, said that while she is content with the with the legislature's recent support, she will continue to lobby to maintain state funding for current school nutrition programs.

"We want to make sure the money is not taken away," she said.

The school breakfast program provides children of all backgrounds with morning meals and is funded partly by cash subsidies from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. In order to receive funding, meals must meet federal nutrition requirements and be offered for free or reduced prices to eligible low-income children.

Children from families with higher income, however, may also purchase full-price meals through the program.

Under this program, school districts receive reimbursements for each served meal, with free meals receiving the highest return rate and full-cost meals receiving the lowest. Although school districts may set their own prices for full-cost meals, to receive reimbursement funding, schools must operate their meal services as a nonprofit venture.

The Connecticut Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, End Hunger Connecticut! and the School Nutrition Association of Connecticut joined state legislators and others at a lobbying event at the state Capitol. Afterward, members from the organizations met with lawmakers to urge continued legislative support for school breakfast and funding for programs that promote nutrition in schools.

Connecticut is the first state to ban the toxic chemical bisphenol-A from baby bottles and baby food cans and jars. Read the WFSB story.

Learn more about Bispenol-A

 

The largest food allergy study to day found that 8 percent of children in the United States suffer from a food allergy in a growing public health problem. Read more...

Connecticut Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Strongly Encourages CT Health Insurance Exchange to Include Medical Nutrition Therapy in New Standard Health Benefits Package

Teresa Dotson R.D., CD-N and Connecticut Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics' Public Policy Coordinator will attend tonight’s CT Department of Health’s public forum on the CT Health Insurance Exchange at the Hartford Public Library from 6:00 pm – 7:30pm.

Hartford, Conn. (May 9, 2011) –With science-based evidence widely published and readily available on the critical role nutrition plays in both preventative health and management of chronic medical conditions, it is concerning to members of the Connecticut Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics that the services of a Registered Dietitian (RD) are not always included in the “standard benefit package”.  The Connecticut Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics has worked successfully with Connecticut health insurance companies over the past few years to get RD’s recognized as Participating Providers.  The task now turns to working with the CT Health Insurance Exchange Planning Committee to develop a CT Health Insurance Exchange and standard benefits package as required by the Federal government’s Affordable Care Act (“ACT”).  Last week, Dotson submitted Stakeholder comments and a formal request for the Connecticut Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics to be included in this process.  Tonight she will attend the public forum to help educate the public on the benefits of inclusion of nutrition services and RDs as providers of those services, as part of the solution to controlling health care costs.

RD’s are food and nutrition experts, translating the science of nutrition into practical solutions for healthy living.  The expertise, training and credentials of an RD are vital for promoting good nutrition.  RD’s provide Medical Nutrition Therapy (MNT) that has been shown to reduce health care costs and improve patient outcomes. Medical Nutrition Therapy (MNT) is defined as “nutritional diagnostic, therapy, and counseling services for the purpose of disease management which are furnished by a registered dietitian or nutrition professional…” (source Medicare MNT legislation, 2000).

Dotson says, “RDs are the most qualified healthcare professionals to provide MNT.  RDs deliver care that is coordinated and cost-effective in a variety of chronic diseases. The RD needs to be included in the State’s new Health Insurance Exchange standard benefits package as providers of MNT.”

“For example, treatment of obesity requires complex, early and consistent intervention. There is a significant difference between nutrition interventions when individuals are overweight versus when they become obese.  If they receive early intervention with MNT and nutrition counseling, many patients may not get to a stage of obesity that puts them at risk for other diseases.  Therefore, exclusion of MNT/RD services  is not only inconsistent with quality care, but also fails to take into account long-term effects of excessive weight on health  and the potential cost-savings from prevention,” Dotson explains.

“In this day and age, where health complications and costs from poor nutritional and lifestyle choices are so pronounced, it is simply imperative that we include the services of RD’s for both the preventative and wellness services and chronic disease management, “ says Dotson.

About The Connecticut Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics

Established in 1932, and an affiliate of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics in 1933, the Connecticut Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics serves as the leading advocate of the dietetic profession in Connecticut serving the public through promotion of optimal nutrition, health and well-being. Our membership includes over 1,100 Registered Dietitians, Registered Dietetic Technicians, students and retirees of the profession.

CT Academy Media Contact:
Mary Engvall, M.E. Marketing
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860.205.3519

Related Attachments:
Insurance letter
Request for Stakeholders' Comments

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"Eat Right Connecticut Kit", a Practical, Plain Language Guide to Nutrition and Health, Developed by Connecticut Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics to Mark National Nutrition Month

Hartford, Conn. (March 7, 2011) – Bookstores, the Internet, magazines and TV programs have never been so filled with diet, nutrition and exercise advice, and yet Americans continue to be less healthy than ever with epidemic levels of obesity and chronic diseases now plaguing adults and children. We need to wonder, "Where is the disconnect?" Are people confused by information overload, conflicting messages or complicated explanations and advice? The Connecticut Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics believes it's all of the above, so they've developed the "Eat Right Connecticut Kit" to take the complexity and confusion out of good nutrition.

As registered dietitians who work with people in a variety of settings and circumstances, they know first-hand that simple, easy to understand and easy to follow guidelines are key to achieving great health. The CT Academy took the recently released USDA 2010 Guidelines for Americans and translated the information into a plain-language, prioritized kit which includes must-know nutrition nuggets, exercise basics, recipes and shopping tips creating the "Eat Right Connecticut Kit". The Dietary Guidelines are the first item of the kit now available at www.eatrightct.org . The additional items in the kit will be added once a week throughout the month of March.

Wilton Montessori Students to Get Schooled This Week on Eating Right through Creative Cooking Corps Orange Bowls Lesson

Hartford, Conn. (March 1, 2011) – Preschoolers are pretty smart these days, but this Friday, March 4, 2011, the Dietetics students from the University of New Haven are going to help ensure they understand the importance of smart choices for what's inside that Dora the Explorer or Spiderman lunchbox. As part of the nutrition education lessons of Cooking Corps, a volunteer program that brings excitement to food and nutrition education through fun, creative food projects, Wilton Montessori students will participate in the "Orange Bowls" lesson. The kids will learn about a variety of fresh fruits and how they help their brains and bodies to be strong and healthy through a hands-on experience making individual fruit bowls out of oranges filled with a variety of bite-sized colorful fruits.

Staggering Statistics of Childhood Obesity Motivates New Book by Two Connecticut Registered Dietitian Moms

Fueling the Teen Machine is Tailored for Teens Helping Them Learn How to Make Good Choices Everyday to Improve Their Own Health and Well-being.

Hartford, Conn. (January 18, 2011) – As parents of teenagers know all too well, our kids' busy lifestyles, social norms and youthful feelings of invincibility often lead to more salt, sugar and fat in their diet than fresh fruits and vegetables.  For parents, health professionals and teachers trying to convince teens about the benefits of dropping the pizza and remote and picking up some water and weights, it can often feel like an exercise in futility.  Yet with America's staggering statistics of childhood obesity and resulting chronic diseases such as increasing cases of Type 2 diabetes in kids as well as the increasing existence of one or more heart disease risk factors, there is a feeling of urgency with this issue. In Connecticut alone, roughly 25% of children ages 10-17 are categorized as either obese or overweight.* And while our kids may sometimes appear to turn a deaf ear, they are well aware of these rising statistics and are often concerned about their current and long-term health believe Ellen Shanley and Colleen Thompson, co-authors of the new book Fueling the Teen Machine: What It Takes to Make Good Choices for Yourself Every Day, 2nd Edition.