Focus on Nutrition and Nutrition Science

Latest Episodes:

The Battle of the Bulge: Losing Weight and Keeping it Off Feb 17, 2011

Show notes

Guest: Christine Kessler
Host: Mimi Secor, DNP, FNP-BC, FAANP

America has a weight problem. Billions of dollars are spent every year in the pursuit of weight loss, often without success. And it is one of the most frequently addressed health concerns addressed by patients and their health care providers. What tips can you provide your patients to help them lose weight and keep it off? Nurse Practitioner Christine Kessler, a certified practitioner in advanced diabetes management at a large teaching medical center, joins host Mimi Secor to discuss the changes in our food and eating habits that have contributed to an obesity epidemic.

Evidence-Based Trends in Nutrition Research, Part 1 Feb 15, 2011

Show notes

Host: Mary Leuchars, MD
Guest: Timothy Harlan, MD

Red meat, soda, portion sizes and food quality are all buzz words in nutrition news. But it can be challenging to decipher the components of a "healthy diet," based on voluminous, and often contradictory, nutritional studies. What are the latest evidence-based trends in nutrition research, and how can we best communicate this nutritional knowledge to our patients? Dr. Timothy Harlan, medical director of outpatient clinics, associate chief of general internal medicine, and assistant clinical professor of medicine at Tulane University School of Medicine, surveys a number of "hot topics" in nutrition and puts the latest research into context. Hosted by Dr. Mary Leuchars.

Healthy Lifestyle Habits for Families Feb 09, 2011

Show notes

Host: Lisa Dandrea Lenell, PA-C, MPAS, MBA
Guest: Amy Hendel, R-PA

We know that high rates of obesity in children is a serious problem in the United States. What is a whole-family approach? And how do adult nutrition strategies differ from what works for children? How can parents and kids work together to make the entire family eat healthier and exercise? PA Amy Hendel, medical and lifestyle reporter and author of the book The 4 Habits of Healthy Families, joins host Lisa Dandrea Lenell to discuss her approach to getting families focused on making healthy lifestyle decisions when it comes to nutrtition and exercise. They also talk about how practitioners can encourage their patients to make positive changes in these areas.

Which Patients Should be Eligible for Lap-Bands? Jan 26, 2011

Show notes

Guest: Diana Zuckerman, PhD
Host: Maurice Pickard, MD

The lap-band device dramatically reduces the size of a patient's stomach, and as such, it can be effective for weight loss in very obese patients. It offers at least one major advantage over gastric bypass surgery, in that the lap-band can be removed. But can the lap-band procedure also be safe and effective for patients who are even slightly obese, or do the potential risks outweigh the benefits for these patients? Dr. Diana Zuckerman, president of the National Research Center for Women & Families and its cancer prevention and treatment fund in Washington, D.C., discusses the criteria for patients to receive lap-banding. What concerns surround the issue of lowering the body-mass index (or BMI) threshold for patients eligible for this procedure? What are the long-term risks of lap-bands? Dr. Maurice Pickard hosts.

The Corporate Role in the Battle Against Obesity Jan 26, 2011

Show notes

Guest: Hank Cardello
Host: Bruce Japsen

With the US amid an obesity epidemic, the White House has made healthy eating a national priority. But will market forces eventually undermine and sabotage this high-profile effort to curtail obesity? Hank Cardello, a fellow of the Washington DC think tank the Hudson Institute, and director of its Obesity Solutions Institute and author of the book Stuffed: An Insider's Look at Who's (Really) Making America Fat, talks with host Bruce Japsen about how to persuade companies that product offerings which help reduce, instead of increase, the country's waistline can also improve the corporate bottom line.

High Fructose Corn Syrup and Diabetes: Is Sugar Any Better? Oct 20, 2010

Show notes

Guest: James Laidler, MD
Host: Bruce Japsen

The move to re-cast high fructose corn syrup as "corn sugar" come out of the demonization of high fructose corn syrup by some in the medical community. But is high fructose corn syrup's reputation scientifically justified, and what does it mean for physicians and their patients? Dr. Jim Laidler, an MD and researcher in the area of molecular biology, talks with host Bruce Japsen about the much-maligned high fructose corn syrup and whether it is worse for health than other sugars and common substitutes.

The Beef on Red Meat: Unhealthy on Many Levels Jun 04, 2009

Show notes

Guest: Barry Popkin, PhD
Host: Cathleen Margolin, PhD

Certain foods and beverages seem to go in and out of style as new research emerges to support or refute their health benefits. Yet when it comes to eating red meat, despite the long-standing advice from nutrition experts, our taste buds never seem to tire of the all-American burger or the juicy tenderloin steak. New research provides us with what is billed as definitive evidence that our penchant for red meat shortens our lifespan. Dr. Barry Popkin, the Carla Smith Chambliss Distinguished Professor of Global Nutrition and director of the Interdisciplinary Obesity Center at the University of North Carolina, joins host Dr. Cathleen Margolin to discuss how we can use this research, in addition to previous evidence on the subject, to encourage our patients to work toward healthier food habits.

Weighing the Adverse Effects of Fructose vs. Glucose May 20, 2009

Show notes

Guest: Kimber Stanhope, PhD, MS
Host: Larry Kaskel, MD

Which is worse: fructose-sweetened drinks or glucose-sweetened drinks? For some time, we have lacked consensus on the degree of punishment our bodies take from drinks sugared by these common saccharines. For now, fructose may again be wearing the crown, scoring unhealthy points in abdominal adiposity, and triglyceride and LDL levels, among other categories. Nutritional biologist Dr. Kimber Stanhope, from the University of California, Davis, joins host Dr. Larry Kaskel to shed some new light on this enduring debate. The lead author of a recent study published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation on the consumption of fructose-sweetened and glucose-sweetened beverages, Dr. Stanhope also explains that there is little value in directly applying these results to fruits, because fruits confer other important health benefits.

Promising Peanut Immunotherapy Studies May 11, 2009

Show notes

Guest: Wesley Burks, MD
Host: Lee Freedman, MD

Peanut allergy is an increasing public health concern in the United States. Children with peanut allergy may remain allergic for life, unlike children with more often outgrown allergies to milk or egg. Dr. Wesley Burks, professor and chief of the division of pediatric allergy and immunology at Duke University Medical Center, describes recent success with peanut immunotherapy in a few groups of children. Do these studies provide hope for all patients with peanut allergy, including adults? Dr. Lee Freedman hosts.

Diets and Food Selections of the Nutritionists Apr 24, 2009

Show notes

Host: Amy Hendel, R-PA
Guest: Ruth Frechman, MA, RD

Does the word dash mean 'diet' to you, or a quick run? Does "Mediterranean" describe your last vacation destination, or a heart-healthy diet? Host Amy Hendel welcomes Ruth Frechman, registered dietician and spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association, to discuss a nutritionist's take on diets and food choices that can benefit your patient population.