American Society For Nutrition

Can’t Get No Satisfaction: Retronasal Olfaction and Satiety Signals

By: Caitlin L.

Satiety:  Noun. The condition of being full or gratified beyond the point of satisfaction; surfeit.

A problem cited by many who are overweight is that they cannot stop eating.  They know they have eaten enough, they should be able to push the plate away and end the meal, but they can't.  I have heard a variety of reasons for this, from a childhood that was lacking food, to an overwhelming emotional response to food, to an unyielding portion distortion that exists at every restaurant in America.  Whatever the reason, many people have lost the ability to register satiety.  The mind body connection is no longer there.  It seems that if we can teach one to listen to the body, to reawaken the satiety signal so that one does not become “gratified beyond the point of satisfaction”, we could address a large part of the nations' obesity problems.   So how can we retrain a nation to listen to a satiety signal that has been overridden most of our lives?

While there is probably a wide spectrum of opinions on how to handle this issue, there appear to be two main schools of thought.   The first argues that teaching and implementing mindful eating techniques is adequate and can prove to be successful in retraining an individual to read his or her hunger and satiety cues and signals.  Behavioral therapy using cognitive restructuring and understanding stimuli, distractions, and underlying emotions are strategies used to retrain the brain and change the corresponding behavior.  But is this enough for someone who has viewed appetite satisfaction as synonymous with overeating for their entire lives; for a person who has never truly felt a normal sense of hunger and/or satiety?

The other main school of thought disagrees and focuses on food chemistry to solve the problem.  Researchers have been examining the role of aroma and its effect on hunger and satiation, or specifically odors that may activate the part of the brain that signals satiation and fullness.  A 2009 review published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry concluded that preliminary studies point to promising results in this field, that we can essentially manipulate food to produce feelings of fullness in the brain, specifically through retronasal olfaction.  Retronasal olfaction occurs when aroma stimuli reaches the olafactory epithelium through the act of chewing rather than sniffing or smelling something .  Our olafactory epithelium communicates with our brain to detect smells and odors.  The hypothesis is that foods can be tailored to increase the levels and/or the quality of stimulation that in turn will lead to higher feelings of satiety.  The hope is that this will help people to stop overeating.   The next step, the researchers conclude, is to test this concept using real foods.

Are people actually so far removed from their own body regulations that they need to turn to manipulated food in order to stop overeating?  Or is it possible to retrain our bodies to listen to the inherent cues that we were born with?   In my optimistic heart, I like to believe that the latter is true.  But my brain knows that as a nation we want things done for us, and we look for quick fixes instead of looking at the source of the problem.  If an easier alternative is made available to help us stop overeating we may not do the work necessary to change our behavior.  

Source: Ruijschop, R.M.A.J. , A.E.M. Boelrijk, C. de Graaf, M.S. Westerterp-Plantenga. "Retronasal Aroma Release and Satiation: A Review." Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. 57.21 (2009): 9888–9894

Undernutrition: a persistent global health challenge

By: Harini S.

As we approach the holiday season, we are constantly being reminded to give to those less fortunate than us – either through volunteers seeking donations or through TV commercials highlighting the plight of children in developing countries.  As a person from such a developing nation, I have always hated these commercials, because I felt that they painted a terrible image of these nations to the Western viewer.  But on my recent trip back home to India, I had to concede that these images are sometimes closer to the truth than I care to admit.

Those of us that receive our education in the more fortunate developed world spend little time thinking about the sorts of issues that the study of nutrition was originally focused on – issues dealing with undernutrition.  Clean drinking water, abundant supply of nutritive foods, and sufficient financial resources to procure food are factors that most of us take for granted in our daily lives.  However, a large part of our world is as yet unable to supply its citizens with enough sustenance for a disease-free life.

As Dr. Juan Rivera, interviewed by student blogger Rebecca K., states, the developing world faces a double burden of overconsumption of calories and macronutrients in the richer segments of society coupled with insufficient availability of nutrition in the lower socioeconomic strata.  Although I have spent the majority of my academic career focusing on problems resulting from excessive caloric intake, one of the most meaningful projects that I was able to participate in as a student was one that involved utilizing indigenous food ingredients to create calorically-dense supplements for AIDS-afflicted children in Uganda.  This experience highlighted to me the need for more of us in the nutrition community to become at least somewhat involved in understanding and addressing the challenges of the developing world and its people. 

Many universities offer courses that involve field work in countries that face different public health burdens than those of the United States.  One such course that springs to mind is one offered at my alma mater, University of Wisconsin-Madison, where students participate in a semester-long seminar course that culminates in a 3-week trip to Uganda.  Here, they can witness and study first-hand the health-related issues faced by the people of this nation.  This experience leaves an indelible impression in students' minds and has already resulted in the creation of the Village Health Project, a nonprofit endeavor to support health and nutrition projects in developing countries.  Thus far, this project has successfully set up rainwater purification tanks to provide potable water to communities in Uganda. 

As many of you think about the kinds of courses that you will take or projects that you will participate in as students of Nutrition, I hope that more will be able to seek out courses that will benefit those less fortunate than us.  If you have had the opportunity to participate in such a project, please consider commenting and sharing your experiences and impressions with other readers of this ASN blog.  If you would like more information regarding the Village Health Project, it is available at: http://www.villagehealthproject.org/.

The Role of Caffeine in Type 2 Diabetes

By: Jovana K.



Over the past few months I have been preparing for my upcoming comprehensive exam. The University of Toronto comprehensive exam entails a 3 hour questioning period by five well-established professors on three assigned topics. One of my topics is the role of caffeine in health and disease. Thus, for this blog I have decided to give you an overview of what I have learned.

Caffeine is a natural ingredient found in many plants, including coffee, tea, cocoa, kola, guarana and yerba mate. It is also used as a food additive in some carbonated drinks and as an ingredient in over the counter medication. In North America and Europe, up to 90% of adults regularly consume caffeine-containing beverages and foods making it the most widely consumed stimulant in the world. Current recommendations for adults are to consume less than 400 mg of caffeine per day.  However, this dose is easily attained by drinking 2-3 cups of brewed coffee. My review of different brands of brewed coffees from local coffee shops revealed that Starbucks has the highest dose of caffeine, with one cup of grande coffee containing 330 mg of caffeine.  So you may be wondering what are the effects of caffeine on blood glucose metabolism.

According to scientific evidence, caffeine can cross the blood-brain barrier and inhibit adenosine from binding to its receptor. Competitive antagonism of adenosine receptors increases synaptic activity and stimulates the release of neurotransmitters, particularly epinephrine. Epinephrine stimulates the central nervous system and inhibits the release of insulin. Human studies have revealed that acute caffeine intake can impair whole body insulin-mediated glucose disposal by 20-25%. This finding is likely attributed to a 50% reduction in skeletal muscle glucose uptake. However, despite these findings it remains unclear whether caffeine intake poses a risk for diabetes in healthy adults because most people develop a tolerance to caffeine with long-term consumption. Disturbances in insulin-mediated glucose disposal may have important health implications in individuals already experiencing insulin resistance such as those seen in obese patients, type 2 diabetics and pregnant women. Exposure to high levels of caffeine during pregnancy has the potential to increase insulin resistance and/or impair maternal blood glucose tolerance, which in turn may alter fetal development.



Importantly, the aforementioned effects of caffeine cannot be generalized to coffee because coffee contains many bioactive substances some of which can attenuate the adverse effects of caffeine on blood glucose metabolism.  For example, coffee contains high concentrations of chlorogenic acid and guinide, which have been shown to decrease glucose absorption and enhance muscle glucose disposal. Emerging epidemiological evidence indicates that habitual coffee consumption (both caffeinated and decaffeinated) can decrease the risk of developing type 2 diabetes in healthy adults.  However, it is still premature to recommend coffee consumption as a public strategy for prevention of type 2 diabetes. Further research should identify the genetic factors that may modulate how coffee and caffeine affect glucose metabolism. For more information I recommend reading the following reviews:

Pimentel DG, Zemdegs JC, Theodoro JA, Mota JF.  Does long-term coffee intake reduce type 2 diabetes mellitus risk? Diabetol Meta Syndr. 2009;16:1(1):6.

Greenberg JA. Boozer CN, Geliebter A. Coffee, diabetes, and weight control.  Am J Clin Nutr 2006;84:682-93

Holiday Moderation

By: Emily C.

The holiday season is truly a foodie's delight, but it can also be a nightmare for the health-conscious. Before you trade your skinny jeans for those elastic waist sweatpants, be assured that the abundance of food associated with the upcoming holidays {whichever ones you celebrate} does not have to translate into an epic food coma.



There are a couple of different ways to approach the holiday season. As a foodie, I understand that some recipes, no matter how calorie-laden and fat overloaded, are just too good to be modified. Take, for example, my family's traditional Swedish Smörgåsbord, which includes rice pudding, potato sausage, Gouda and Havarti cheeses, ham, and peppermint ice cream, for starters. This is where moderation comes into play. Moderation is a word I love using. Applying this concept to eating involves allowing myself to enjoy a high calorie, high fat meal, while choosing healthy options most of the time.



On the other hand, as a future dietitian, I know that small modifications to rich dishes can improve their nutritional value and have a positive additive effect in the long run. Healthy food can be delicious, too. Recently, my foodservice rotation site [St. Louis Children's Hospital] featured a sampling of appetizers with a healthy twist. The hospital staff members we served were able to try different foods for the first time and were generally surprised to find that tofu and humus can actually be pretty flavorful.

Here are some of the appetizers we served:

Tofu & Cherry Tomato Skewers



1 pound regular tofu, 1 inch x 1 inch
2/3 pound cherry tomatoes, fresh
1 teaspoon olive oil
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
¼ cup fresh basil
1 teaspoon lite soy sauce
4 garlic cloves, crushed

In a bowl, combine olive oil, garlic, soy sauce, basil, salt, and pepper. Add the tomatoes and cubed tofu to the bowl and stir carefully. Let marinate for a few minutes. Pre-soak wooden skewers in water. Thread the tofu and tomatoes onto the skewers. In a non-stick sautÉ pan, fry the tofu and tomato on each side.

Flatbread Pinwheels



Directions: spread fat-free vegetable cream cheese (mix cream cheese with minced celery, pepper, carrot, and onion) on Flatout (9 g each of protein and fiber!) brand wraps. Sprinkle with shredded jicama and chopped, roasted pecans. Roll and slice into pinwheels.

Hummus



½ cup cold water
2 ¾ teaspoons sesame paste (Tahini)
¼ cup garlic cloves, peeled and fresh
¼ cup lemon juice, fresh
2 ¾ teaspoons olive oil
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
2 cups garbanzo beans, canned, drained, rinsed
1/8 teaspoon ground paprika

Using a food processor, blend the garlic, tahini, cumin, water, and garbanzo beans. Add lemon juice and olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Blend until the hummus is smooth. Garnish with a dusting of paprika. Serve with fresh cut veggies.

And, as Rachel K advised, post-meal exercise is never a bad idea. Family get-togethers are also the perfect opportunity to cream your un-favorite cousins with snowballs or organize a game of family friendly football. 
Whether you choose to practice moderation when eating your favorite holiday foods or by making appetizers on the lighter side this year, I hope you take time to truly enjoy the season. Feel free to leave comments about your fave holiday dishes!

Multiple comparisons: Avoiding error (but which error?)

By: Matt T.

As you can see by the title, I'm returning to my nerdy stats-lovin' roots this month.

The idea behind multiple comparisons is straightforward. Follow this link and quickly click  the “Go!” button a dozen times times or so to get a feel for it.  What you're seeing are t-statistics for 20 different independent sample t-tests. Significant results are highlighted. Here's the trick: These tests are comparing completely random, normally distributed groups of numbers. Every time you see one of those little boxes light up like a Christmas light, that's a type I error – a “significant difference” even though the numbers are completely random.

This is one of the dirty little secrets of science: about 5% of all our “significant results” are wrong, and we don't know which 5%.

The problem becomes more serious when we test differences in multiple outcomes in one study (and we usually do). As above, if we test 20 different variables, we're likely to see at least one false positive.

To mitigate this, we use things like Bonferroni or Tukey adjustments, which are simply  ways to penalize our tests for the fact that we've made multiple comparisons. If we apply a correction, we would see a false positive only about 1 in 20 times we click that button.

As clear cut as all this seems so far, multiple comparisons can get cloudy in practice. Some say we should adjust for every test we perform in a particular study. I argue that this stringent use goes to far.

Suppose, for example, we measure the effect of two diets on bone health. Bone health is a broad and abstract term, with lots of ways to measure it. In my own lab, we measure bone density by dual x-ray absorptiometry (DXA), bone turnover by plasma markers (eg, BAP or bone specific alkaline phosphatase, an enzyme in plasma proportional to osteoblast activity) and bone structure by MRI. Each of these subcategories of bone health may have 3 or more measures. Because they all measure different facets of the same underlying phenomenon or “construct,” we would expect these measures to be strongly correlated.



A strict application of the concept of multiple comparisons would mandate that I penalize each of these measures for the total number of tests performed. To declare a diet a success I would need a p-value < 0.00625. (Wow!)

But take  a step back and ask what the extra information from multiple measurements is really telling us. If 9 different ways of measuring bone health each show the same trend shouldn't this strengthen our case instead of weakening it? If these variables are not independent, why should we require that each statistical test independently satisfy such a stringent requirement? Wouldn't it be better to test whether all these interrelated variables are affected by the diet together?

If we were going to conclude that bone health differed by diet based on the result of only one out of the 8 variables, then adjustment is necessary to keep the false positive rate down to 5%. This is what multiple comparisons were designed to do. However when several alternate measures of the same construct are moving in the same direction, it makes more sense to hold all these variables to the same standard jointly.

For ways to do this, we can take a tip from the social scientists. They are used to thinking about data as aggregate measures of an underlying, abstract construct, rather than a collection of unique measures. For example, we can perform a multivariate test (available in most stats programs) to test the hypothesis that all the related variables are jointly different between diets.



Performing this test on my 8 interrelated bone health measures casts light on the big picture: collectively, bone health improves significantly, because all of 8 aspects of it are improving (if not quite significantly on their own).

Multiple comparison adjustments are meant to keep us from changing our theories of how the world works based on one significant test among many. They are not meant to penalize us for collecting more data in the same experiment. More data should mean more perspective, and a clearer picture.  Choosing multivariate statistical approaches to make use of this extra information, instead of punishing us for it, is just good common sense.

Teaching Nutrition

By: Alison K.


Over the past year and a half, I have taught roughly 250 students in a class called Current Topics and Controversies in Nutrition. This general education course, which is taught by TAs and overseen by Dr. Liz Applegate, is a writing course enrolled in primarily by non-nutrition majors throughout the UC Davis campus. All kinds of students take this course—from economics majors, to dance majors, to biochemistry majors. Teaching nutrition to non-science majors is a challenge, and teaching this course has given me the opportunity to develop skills to explain nutrition and science at large to people who really don't have an understanding or background in this area.

During my time in the classroom, I have been asked some very interesting questions by students. Questions that make you tilt your head to the side; questions that make you wonder, where do these people hear this stuff? Here are some examples:

1. Is it true that drinking really cold water is bad for your metabolism?
       
2. Is it high fat diets that make you fat? I eat a lot of nuts, and they have a lot of fat, is that ok?

3. Is it true that eating late at night makes you fat?

These are just a few off the top of my head that I can think of. However, it comes to mind that most questions students ask me regard weight maintenance or weight loss. One student told me “they had read” that eating celery was bad for your health because of the strings inside of the stalk—stuff you can't make up! How do we answer these questions effectively? I have learned a few ways to describe some basic fundamentals that I use regularly in the classroom:

       1. It's not about fat, it's about calories. I try to explain that the idea that perhaps it's not the macronutrient itself, but rather, the amount of calories ingested that is really the concept we should try to stick to. I usually say something like “calories in = calories out.” This is something they can understand without much science, and it may not be exactly true, but it's a good way to get them away from being scared of eating fat.

       2. I try to encourage regular exercise as part of diet. This is something even the USDA has begun to acknowledge in the new MyPyramid. By exercising regularly, you are able to better increase your metabolism and hopefully help reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease.

       3. I always acknowledge the fact that most things are not set in stone—particularly in regards to macronutrient metabolism and obesity. These things are still being explored and are trying to be understood. We must not take some findings as doctrine, but rather, use them to guide us in a particular direction of research.

Although I realize these above statements are “preaching to the choir,” it is important for us as educators of nutrition to always remember our audience. In my case, that's 19 year old undergraduates who are worried about their “Freshman 15.” I try to keep things simple and understandable for my audience. Much of the United States is continually mislead by popular news about nutrition—eat egg yolk, don't eat egg yolks, for example. The tug of war that is scientific research leaves most people confused and frustrated about nutrition and metabolic health. So take a step back before answering questions for students, or average adults. It'll be invaluable to them!

BILLIONAIRES VISION

By: Bobban S.

After reading my blogs, some of my friends told me they are too serious and suggested that I write something fun. Well, it seems that years of academic credits and scientific literature survey made me too ‘serious sciencey'! Serious or not serious, I am glad that I was able to share some of my thoughts with the vibrant ASN community.

Recently my focus shifted towards policy issues and I happened to read a very recent report on climate change on agriculture and food production from International Food Policy Research Institute. The study found that calorie availability in 2050 will not only be lower in the no-climate change scenario, it will actually decline relative to the 2000 levels throughout the developing world, exponentially increasing the child malnutrition levels (1). And in an emission mediated climate-change scenario the things will be much more exacerbated.



I happened to think, whether a subsistence farmer somewhere in Africa or Asia would know about the intricacies of climate change and why they cannot rely anymore on their little farmland. Who was and is responsible for this? Over the last century, the industrialized energy-intensive nations emitted huge amount of greenhouse gas which mediated the human-induced climate change.

It's no time for blaming each other. However, the wealthy nations who were more responsible in emission-related climate changes should realize their greater commitments and take meaningful initiatives to feed the poor.

The wealth is accrued in a handful of millionaires and they can bring huge changes in the health and development of world's poor. I have been thinking about the generosity of Bill and Melinda Gates and their Gates Foundation to bring a meaningful development in the developing countries. They fund enormous amounts of their personal wealth as grants to develop technologies for practical solutions (to develop cheap vaccines for malaria, HIV, to improve nutritional status of pregnant women etc) for poor communities in developing and underdeveloped nations. They also provide educational opportunities for US as well as citizens of their developing countries. Their vision and mission should be highly applauded as a scientific community. His quote “poor farmers are not the problem to be solved but they are the solution” is a world message. It is also noteworthy, that stimulated by Bill Gates initiatives, other rich people such as billionaire investor, Warren Buffet, have also joined the vision and mission of Gates Foundation. It is sure that collectively they can bring many practical changes in poor people's health (such as improved nutrition, disease control etc) and well being.

There is no doubt that, our generation are witnesses of some of the massive challenges of mankind; most important of that is the man-mediated climate change, and the predicted ruin of planet's agricultural land (which in turn contributes to food scarcity). Sustainable solution to all this is vital for the future of human beings. I wish, in the coming decades, governments and non-governmental institutions (such as Gates Foundation) will work together to bring radical changes so that many of these issues can be solved sustainably.

Citation

1. Nelson, G.C., et al. 2009.Climate change: Impact on agriculture and costs of adaptation, Food Policy Report.  International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), Washington D.C. September 2009.

How I beat the Thanksgiving blah’s

By: Rachel K.

    The holidays are just around the corner…….in my family that translates to “season of food.”  I remember when I was young and naïve - when I would eat until I felt like I was going to explode, drag myself to the couch after dinner, and lie there like a beached whale until I could move again.  This is the story of how I overcame, against seemingly insurmountable odds, the holiday food coma.

    You see, my grandmother is half Italian, and thus she shows her love through food. Consequently, we must receive her love (i.e. eat the food), or run the risk of offending her (ten years ago my brother and I made the mistake of revealing that we weren't big fans of her beef stir-fry, and to this day she still holds it over our heads).   Thanksgiving begins with a “pre-feast” – the cheese balls, the vegetable platters, shrimp cocktail, chips and pretzels, wine, cocktails, etc. – to warm everyone up for the main event.  Next, we move on to the dinner.  My grandmother prepares annually, I kid you not, three meats for Thanksgiving: a 20lb. turkey, a 20lb. ham, and of course, a beef roast.  There are baked potatoes, mashed potatoes, two dozen rolls, stuffing, salad, cauliflower, brussel sprouts, mushrooms, etc. etc. etc.  And don't forget dessert!  You must save room for one of the four pies, and brownies, and ice cream……...

    We're not a big family, mind you.  Okay, maybe we're freakishly tall, but there are only thirteen of us and no one is overweight.  Yet my grandmother makes enough food to easily feed a college football team.  Now, I love my grandmother dearly, but I have had to learn the hard way how to resist the incessant onslaught of food. 

    First, I start the morning off with some exercise.  Last year I convinced a friend to join me on the local 5K turkey trot……it was a brisk (i.e. freezing) sleet filled morning, but we had fun nonetheless.  Second, I fill up on vegetables early.  Since there is always a mixed vegetable platter out before dinner, I stock up on the good stuff before I'm stuffed.  When dinner does arrive, I try to choose only one meat and one starch (okay, I go for two starches - but that's because stuffing only comes once a year :).  For example, I'll forgo the baked potatoes (not a big fan), but stock up on the mashed potatoes instead.  As for dessert, I give myself a good two hours after dinner before I even think about it (let's face it, the dessert's not going anywhere).  I am also a firm believer in the button test-of-fullness.  If I reach a point where I feel even the slightest urge to unbutton my pants, I stop eating altogether.  Finally, the most important weapon against overindulging is a simple “no.” My grandmother will ask me five times if I want more stuffing, but I hold my ground and just say no.  

Happy Thanksgiving!

Academic Freedom

By: Caitlin L.

I am a student, hence my role here as a student blogger.  I love the academic environment and the fact that I am surrounded by people just as passionate about learning as I am.  I love the opportunities I am given, the people I am able to meet, and the ideas they contribute.  I work on campus in an environment where the goal is to embrace new research, yet last week I was reminded that there are some in this population who fear change and innovation. 

My campus' Sustainable Agricultural Resource Consortium sponsored an event in conjunction with its annual Sustainability Fair and invited UC Berkeley Journalism Professor and well-known author Michael Pollan to come and speak at a fundraiser.  Also scheduled was a free, open to the community talk during the day.  I admire Michael Pollan's writing style, his lyrical voice, and his ability to lay out food and agricultural issues in such a way that people from many different backgrounds want to listen.  I never thought of him as “controversial” because for the most part I agree with most of what he says, and many of the people I surround myself with have also embraced his thoughts.   Apparently he is much more controversial, especially within the College of Agriculture.   Some agriculture students even began a facebook page in protest of his visit to Cal Poly, calling Pollan a “radical, anti-agriculturalist”.

When the Harris Ranch Corporation caught wind that our campus was hosting this talk, they threatened to withdraw a pledge they had made to donate $500,000 to build a new meat processing facility for the College of Agriculture, if Pollan were to lecture “unchallenged”.  To appease the corporation, the event was changed from a lecture format to a panel discussion.  We were told that when Pollan heard about the controversy, he suggested the change in format in order to include a variety of voices.   Pollan participated on the panel with two other speakers: Myra Goodman the co-founder of Earthbound Organics, and Gary Smith, the Monfort Endowed Chair in meat science at Colorado State University.

Had I not known about the controversy surrounding the event, I would have walked away believing it to be a great educational experience.  But instead, I like many others, remain extremely concerned that a public university was influenced by money; that the sense of freedom in a diversity of beliefs was threatened and censored by a voice seemingly more powerful than that of the collective student body.  “Diversity (both biological and intellectual) breeds resistance to withstand shocks to the system”, Pollan said as he addressed the issue of sustainability.  In other words, the growth and development of any system or organization is extremely dependant on innovation and change, and on not automatically accepting the status quo.  That is science.  Pollan asserted that he is not anti-farmer, as many of his opponents like to paint him, but he is interested in changing our current agricultural system.   He is also the first to admit that he is not an expert in agriculture or nutrition, and does not have all the answers.  Finding those answers is our job as researchers in an academic setting.  

If a public university falls under the control of one point of view it threatens the exchange of new ideas, something exceedingly important when it comes to the state of our food and our health.   Many have called this move by the Cal Poly administration a “censorship of academic freedom”, though a school- wide email sent by the president of the university claims otherwise.  It seems important to share this in a community such as ASN that prides itself on research and innovation.  The Nutrition world is constantly changing as most of us are aware, and there will be times when our research will speak against a common belief and may become controversial.  We cannot be afraid to share our knowledge, even in the face of tradition and opposition.  “Resilience is achieved by diversity”, Pollan stated, and as nutrition scientists looking to improve the quality of lives of others we cannot forget that.

Interview with Dr. Juan Rivera

By: Rebecca K.


Dr. Juan Rivera is the 2009 ASN Kellogg International Nutrition Research Award Winner and the Director of the Center for Research in Nutrition and Health at the Mexican National Institute of Public Health

Favorite micronutrient: zinc
Favorite macronutrient: fat
Favorite food: so difficult for someone who likes so many…tortillas, beans, Serrano peppers
Favorite music/musician: Non-classical—Pink Floyd, Classical—Puccini operas
Uncovered fun fact: “Juan sings and plays the guitar beautifully!! What he most enjoys playing is Joan Manuel Serrat's music.”
Favorite thing to do for fun: So many things…movies/cinema.
Favorite movie: “Amarcord” (1973) directed by Federico Fellini (Italian for ‘I remember'-- the topic is nostalgia)
Uncovered fun fact: “Juan loves to exercise, especially walk.”

What and/or who inspired you to go into the nutrition field?

Poverty here in Mexico and the big gap between the rich and the poor made a very big impact on me since childhood. In high school, I worked in indigenous communities in Chiapas. I had to do something to improve the life of those people. For a long time, I was divided between medicine and food technology. It was always a struggle. I finished high school and made up my mind to study food technology, but then I learned about a new nutrition program [both at the Universidad Iberoamericana in Mexico City]. It was exactly what I wanted, health and food. For three semesters, I also studied medicine, but Dr.Cravioto at the Mexican National Institute of Pediatrics, with whom I was doing an internship with, convinced me that I was more interested in public health nutrition/epidemiology than medicine; [this catalyzed my later pursuit of a masters and doctorate in International Nutrition from Cornell University].
   
Side story from Juan's wife: “Juan very much enjoys field work and has enjoyed it since he was very young. We did our undergrad social service back in 1973 and often slept on the floor in our indigenous friends' marvelous and warm homes, beside a fire place/bonfire. Juan was very much liked by our local friends and is great at making respectful conversations with mothers of toddlers.”

What do you think is the biggest nutritional problem today and why?

The double burden [of under-nutrition/infectious disease and over-nutrition/chronic disease] is still for me the biggest problem. You cannot separate under- and over-nutrition because they often coexist in the same household and person over the course of their life. [The double burden] is definitely related to poverty, infectious diseases, and poor dietary intakes, but at the same time a society (in general) that has lost aim and direction. A society in which the model is over-consumption and obesity is the gross manifestation of over-consumption. I think our aims in life are also very obese and there is very little consciousness about what we are doing to earth: over-use of water, fossil fuels, and homes that are often more than we need. That consciousness of trying to be a society that thinks about the future and using only what is required is an essential part of [solving] the obesity epidemic that is driven by over-consumption. At the same time, inequity persists and there are so many people undernourished and with little resources. We are hurting earth and we need to be more equitable.

What do you like most about your job and why?

I like very much the experience of learning more about the world (health, nutrition, nature) through research. Every time I confront new findings it gives me pleasure because I understand more about the world. I also like seeing the effects of training: seeing young people change their views and/or paradigms and sometimes their lives due to their experience. And I like being capable of influencing and improving policies and programs.

What is the accomplishment you are most proud of and why?

This center [Center for Research in Nutrition and Health at the Mexican National Institute of Public Health] is an accomplishment of many, but I played a leading role. It did not exist in 1993 when I came to the Institute and now it is a reality. It has many problems and is not perfect, but it does a lot regarding my answer to the previous question.

What advice do you have for nutrition students?

They should really invest as much as possible in their training and development. When you are a student you have a window of opportunity to learn as much as possible and to obtain skills and abilities you need. Once you work, the pressure is such that you learn from experience [but it is not the same].

You need to have passion for what you do; and be very enthusiastic. If you don't have passion, maybe you are in the wrong place.

And to know that the [stereotypical] “incentives” related to hard work and “success”—recognition, being well-known, and money—are fine, but don't be fooled, they are not important. To have an opportunity to serve humanity—that is what counts and is important. Remember: any accomplishment that you have is an accomplishment that is possible because you are in a supporting environment and is a result of that collective effort.