Pablo Monsivais and April D. Davis: Education and research in human nutrition for healthier communities
By Pablo Monsivais and April D. Davis
March is National Nutrition Month, an annual campaign by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics that aims to raise awareness about the importance of balanced nutrition and physical activity for overall health and well-being and highlight the role of dietitians and nutrition professionals in promoting healthy lifestyles.
Healthy eating habits and physical activity are the foundation of a long and vigorous life. Long before COVID-19, the nation was facing a pandemic of noninfectious, chronic diseases. These conditions have been and continue to be some of the leading causes of disability and death. For example, cardiovascular disease, cancer, and metabolic and kidney diseases together account for nearly two out of every three deaths in the nation, based on data from the University of Washington’s Global Burden of Disease estimates from 2019.
Cardiovascular disease, Type 2 diabetes mellitus, and other noninfectious diseases are complex and often co-occurring health problems, with multiple causes including genetic, environmental, and social and economic risk factors. But one consistent observation is that some elements of lifestyle – healthy eating and keeping physically active – are particularly important in the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular disease and Type 2 diabetes.
Registered dietitian nutritionists play a crucial role in both the prevention and treatment of these chronic conditions. In clinical settings, registered dietitians work with patients to provide medical nutrition therapy and personalized interventions to help treat these conditions. Public health dietitians positively impact health at the population level by planning and implementing healthy living and disease prevention programs for communities.
In Spokane, Washington State University’s Master of Science Coordinated Program in Dietetics, Nutrition and Exercise Physiology is training registered dietitian nutritionists to serve our community and beyond. Students in the program undertake classroom-based learning and coordinated experiential supervised practice. Graduates of the program work in clinical, community/public health, and food service management settings in our region and worldwide to promote optimum health and wellness for individuals and communities through the integration of nutrition and exercise.
Dietetic professionals depend on solid research to inform their practice, and faculty at WSU Spokane’s Department of Nutrition and Exercise Physiology are building the scientific evidence. This research includes how food and exercise influence our bodies and our health as well as how our communities can enable or hinder our ability to maintain healthy eating habits and an active lifestyle. With grant funding from federal and state agencies and charitable foundations, WSU nutrition and exercise faculty train and work alongside graduate students to advance research for healthier people and communities.
The research is yielding important findings. For example, providing insights into how foods like vegetables, fruits and whole grains impact metabolism and health risks; how food retailing can affect access to healthy food; and how genetics and physical activity can affect aging and obesity. As an evidence-based health profession, dietitians deliver proven benefits to patient outcomes. For example, patients with Type 2 diabetes who work with dietitians on their clinical team see more substantial improvements in their health profiles compared to patients who do not see a dietitian.
Although the quality and quantity of scientific evidence is improving, the main message hasn’t changed too much. The often-quoted phrases “Let food be thy medicine” and “Walking is the best medicine” are more than 2,000 years old, attributed to the ancient physician Hippocrates. This National Nutrition Month, let’s reflect on the universal importance of good food and physical activity for health, and consider ways to enable healthier habits year-round to positively impact our health and community.
Pablo Monsivais, PhD, MPH, is director of the graduate program in Nutrition and Exercise Physiology at Washington State University, Spokane. April D. Davis, MS, RDN, ACSM-CEP, is director of the graduate program in Dietetics at Washington State University, Spokane.