- Email: [email protected]
Changes, challenges and continuity
PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE CHANGES, CHALLENGES AND CONTINUITY 1988-1989 has been a year of change for SNE-personnel, finances, administrative structure and voting. My thanks to all of you for your continuing membership and interest. With your support, we've obtained a good base for growth and member access to our activities and publications. Let me highlight the changes. Personnel: Executive Director Michael McKechnie resigned and Gwyn Donchin became Managing Director on July 1. Laura Sims completed her term as Editor of JNE in December; Audrey Maretzki is her successor. . Meetings and Board Actions: We held our 21st Annual Meeting in Toronto and welcomed Canadian, Nancy Schwartz as Vice President (to become President in the third year of her term, 1990-91). The Board and the members accepted the challenge of the new strategic plan for SNE. We streamlined our structure, planning, finances and membership for growth for SNE in the 90's. Divisions became Interest Groups and grew in membership since members may now select one Interest Group for the price of their annual dues. Additional groups can be added for $10 each. Annual dues are now payable for everyone on September 1. In this transition year we have been lenient about renewals, but next fall late renewals will have to pay a reinstatement charge. The single renewal date allows for better budget planning and the long awaited Membership Directory which all members received this Spring. Interest Groups can also get a better idea of their size; eventually this will be reflected in their budgets and increased activities. Resolutions were re-emphasized at the Annual Meeting and made part of the officer ballot this winter. The voting response, therefore, was twice that of previous years. Out of ten resolutions developed for Annual meeting sponsors worked with the Resolutions Committee to submit four to the membership for a vote. All four passed, but with varying degrees of support. The Board has reviewed each of these four resolutions in light of level of member support, their financial implications for the Society's budget and their relationship to the strategic plan .
The Board has taken the following actions:
Resolution #2: Member support of state efforts to provide farmers' market coupons to WIC and Senior meal participants .
We've asked the sponsors to work with Elaine to draft a position paper for SNE before the Annual Meeting to prepare SNE for the fall meeting of this coalition. The Board wishes to thank all the resolution sponsors and the Resolutions Committee for their continuing efforts. Member resolutions are a very important way for individual members to percolate policy concerns throughout the membership and to have the membership speak directly to the Board through their votes. We hope to see a continued rejuvenation of this very important SNE activity. Plan to prepare a resolution for this Annual Meeting. Contact Linda Smith, 8889 Chair, (see Member Directory) for details. If you want to take an active role in policy development consider some other SNE activities as well:
The sponsors asked that members be informed of SNE's support for these coupon programs. We encourage members to speak to their state legislators and other officials regarding this issue. For more information about the Massachusetts pilot program contact Hugh Joseph (see Member Directory).
(1) Join the Legislative Interest Group (Contact Sara Ducey, chair, (see Member Directory). (2) Ask to be appointed to the Committee on Public Policy (COPP). Contact Jim Krebs-Smith, chair, (see Member Directory). (3) Let the Board know of your con-
Resolution #3: SNE to review ways to increase the recycling of solid waste.
cerns by letter, by phone and at the Annual Meeting in Chicago Guly 18-22).
Resolution #1 : Licensure of nutrition professionals-Ensure that major professional nutrition groups review proposed legislation. The Board has requested that the sponsors provide a state by state synopsis of activity in this area particularly regarding the terms "nutritionist" and "nutrition educator." We recognize SNE members have been active on both sides of this issue. We believe it needs more discussion within the Society, and with our sister organization, ADA, which has provided the impetus for the legislation.
The Board encourages members to support and enhance local and national recycling efforts. While SNE's finances and mission do not allow a primary focus on this topic we recognize its importance in food production, distribution and consumption in our society. Since SNE cannot take the lead we recommend that members additionally consider supporting organizations both locally and nationally whose primary focus is recycling. . . and, of course, recycle at home yourself.
Resolution #4: SNE supports including nutrition in the emerging national child care policy. This resolution enjoyed overwhelming support among SNE voters therefore the Board recommends that SNE remain an active member of the Maternal and Child Interorganizational Group. (Elaine Blyler and our Managing Director, Gwyn Donchin, are SNE's representatives). 117
Through the volunteer efforts of the Committee on Public Policy and the Legislative Interest Group SNE has continued to represent nutrition education issues on Capitol Hill. To maintain and increase our influence SNE joins coalitions with sister organizations. We support such concerns as nutrition monitoring (although former President Reagan pocket vetoed it last year, it's back this year with our continued support), child nutrition programs, WIC and the Select Committee on Hunger. In return we ask coalition members to support the Nutrition Education and Training Program (NET). Limited resources mean that we, like our sister organizations, have to focus our efforts in a few areas each year. NET is a case in point. We are the champions of its cause in Congress. Each year for nine years at least it has been slated to be cut from the federal budget. Each year we've managed to maintain at least minimal
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PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE
funding for it. This year we and the NET Directors requested a return to full funding at 50¢ a child. So we approach the Annual Meeting in Chicago with the challenge to look ahead to the nineties. This has been a year of restructuring, retrenchment, and opportunities for member participation in the policy process. My challenge to you is speak up! A strategic plan and policy development are only as good as the
membership participation. The plan is not written in stone. Each year it evolves one year further. SNE's greatest strength is its diversity. Focusing our mission should destroy neither our diversity nor our openness to discussion. Nutrition education must be diverse. It includes not only a diversity of foods and cultures, but also myriad related issues such as food safety, food production and distribution, packaging,
recycling, economics, psychology and more. Eating is central to life, thus food and nutrition are the warp and woof of our social fabric. While SNE cannot be all things to all people we can represent a forum for discussion and effectively promote a few things to many people. Join us in Chicago and help shape SNE for the nineties. Janet E . Tenney President
FROM THE EDITOR Readers' Forum ROLE IN EATING DISORDERS As SNE moves into the decade of the 90' s, our membership is in the midst of redefining the role of the Society For Nutrition Education (SNE) among professional health organizations. As educators and as nutritionists, we must take the proactive role of identifying and educating our clients and other health professionals as to the significant issues impacted by nutritional concerns . Publically, the membership ofSNE has been particularly silent about the potential professional role of nutrition educators in the assessment, prevention and treatment of eating disorders . Our participation in numerous treatment programs has been abrogated by psycholo-
gists and psychiatrists who include some nutrition in one or two therapy sessions. The American Dietetic Association has already addressed this concern in a position paper, "Nutrition Intervention in the Treatment of Anorexia Nervosa and Bulimia Nervosa", which calls for nutrition intervention and education to be integrated into the team treatment programs of patients with eating disorders (1). This position paper, published in January 1988, has been available for consideration by health professionals from a variety of disciplines. My concern is that SNE will be perceived as being reactive on this very important issue, unless we act quickly. The skills of nutrition educators are particularly well-suited to the psycho-educa-
tional programs often used for the treatment of eating disorders. I encourage those of us who are already working in this field to report our experiences, and to design and to implement research studies that will enable nutrition educators to add their expertise to the growing body of knowledge on eating disorders. The membership of SNE needs to adopt a proactive mode as we ready ourselves for the 90's.
Sincerely, Michele Grodner, EdD . Assistant Professor Department of Health Science William Paterson College of Jersey Notes and References 1. Position of The American Dietetic Association: Nutrition intervention in the treatment of anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa. Journal of the American Dietetic Association 88:68-71, 1988.
The Board has taken the following actions:
Resolution #2: Member support of state efforts to provide farmers' market coupons to WIC and Senior meal participants .
We've asked the sponsors to work with Elaine to draft a position paper for SNE before the Annual Meeting to prepare SNE for the fall meeting of this coalition. The Board wishes to thank all the resolution sponsors and the Resolutions Committee for their continuing efforts. Member resolutions are a very important way for individual members to percolate policy concerns throughout the membership and to have the membership speak directly to the Board through their votes. We hope to see a continued rejuvenation of this very important SNE activity. Plan to prepare a resolution for this Annual Meeting. Contact Linda Smith, 8889 Chair, (see Member Directory) for details. If you want to take an active role in policy development consider some other SNE activities as well:
The sponsors asked that members be informed of SNE's support for these coupon programs. We encourage members to speak to their state legislators and other officials regarding this issue. For more information about the Massachusetts pilot program contact Hugh Joseph (see Member Directory).
(1) Join the Legislative Interest Group (Contact Sara Ducey, chair, (see Member Directory). (2) Ask to be appointed to the Committee on Public Policy (COPP). Contact Jim Krebs-Smith, chair, (see Member Directory). (3) Let the Board know of your con-
Resolution #3: SNE to review ways to increase the recycling of solid waste.
cerns by letter, by phone and at the Annual Meeting in Chicago Guly 18-22).
Resolution #1 : Licensure of nutrition professionals-Ensure that major professional nutrition groups review proposed legislation. The Board has requested that the sponsors provide a state by state synopsis of activity in this area particularly regarding the terms "nutritionist" and "nutrition educator." We recognize SNE members have been active on both sides of this issue. We believe it needs more discussion within the Society, and with our sister organization, ADA, which has provided the impetus for the legislation.
The Board encourages members to support and enhance local and national recycling efforts. While SNE's finances and mission do not allow a primary focus on this topic we recognize its importance in food production, distribution and consumption in our society. Since SNE cannot take the lead we recommend that members additionally consider supporting organizations both locally and nationally whose primary focus is recycling. . . and, of course, recycle at home yourself.
Resolution #4: SNE supports including nutrition in the emerging national child care policy. This resolution enjoyed overwhelming support among SNE voters therefore the Board recommends that SNE remain an active member of the Maternal and Child Interorganizational Group. (Elaine Blyler and our Managing Director, Gwyn Donchin, are SNE's representatives). 117
Through the volunteer efforts of the Committee on Public Policy and the Legislative Interest Group SNE has continued to represent nutrition education issues on Capitol Hill. To maintain and increase our influence SNE joins coalitions with sister organizations. We support such concerns as nutrition monitoring (although former President Reagan pocket vetoed it last year, it's back this year with our continued support), child nutrition programs, WIC and the Select Committee on Hunger. In return we ask coalition members to support the Nutrition Education and Training Program (NET). Limited resources mean that we, like our sister organizations, have to focus our efforts in a few areas each year. NET is a case in point. We are the champions of its cause in Congress. Each year for nine years at least it has been slated to be cut from the federal budget. Each year we've managed to maintain at least minimal
U8
PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE
funding for it. This year we and the NET Directors requested a return to full funding at 50¢ a child. So we approach the Annual Meeting in Chicago with the challenge to look ahead to the nineties. This has been a year of restructuring, retrenchment, and opportunities for member participation in the policy process. My challenge to you is speak up! A strategic plan and policy development are only as good as the
membership participation. The plan is not written in stone. Each year it evolves one year further. SNE's greatest strength is its diversity. Focusing our mission should destroy neither our diversity nor our openness to discussion. Nutrition education must be diverse. It includes not only a diversity of foods and cultures, but also myriad related issues such as food safety, food production and distribution, packaging,
recycling, economics, psychology and more. Eating is central to life, thus food and nutrition are the warp and woof of our social fabric. While SNE cannot be all things to all people we can represent a forum for discussion and effectively promote a few things to many people. Join us in Chicago and help shape SNE for the nineties. Janet E . Tenney President
FROM THE EDITOR Readers' Forum ROLE IN EATING DISORDERS As SNE moves into the decade of the 90' s, our membership is in the midst of redefining the role of the Society For Nutrition Education (SNE) among professional health organizations. As educators and as nutritionists, we must take the proactive role of identifying and educating our clients and other health professionals as to the significant issues impacted by nutritional concerns . Publically, the membership ofSNE has been particularly silent about the potential professional role of nutrition educators in the assessment, prevention and treatment of eating disorders . Our participation in numerous treatment programs has been abrogated by psycholo-
gists and psychiatrists who include some nutrition in one or two therapy sessions. The American Dietetic Association has already addressed this concern in a position paper, "Nutrition Intervention in the Treatment of Anorexia Nervosa and Bulimia Nervosa", which calls for nutrition intervention and education to be integrated into the team treatment programs of patients with eating disorders (1). This position paper, published in January 1988, has been available for consideration by health professionals from a variety of disciplines. My concern is that SNE will be perceived as being reactive on this very important issue, unless we act quickly. The skills of nutrition educators are particularly well-suited to the psycho-educa-
tional programs often used for the treatment of eating disorders. I encourage those of us who are already working in this field to report our experiences, and to design and to implement research studies that will enable nutrition educators to add their expertise to the growing body of knowledge on eating disorders. The membership of SNE needs to adopt a proactive mode as we ready ourselves for the 90's.
Sincerely, Michele Grodner, EdD . Assistant Professor Department of Health Science William Paterson College of Jersey Notes and References 1. Position of The American Dietetic Association: Nutrition intervention in the treatment of anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa. Journal of the American Dietetic Association 88:68-71, 1988.