Community nutrition

Community nutrition

B o o K S New York, NY 10020, 1978, 642 pp., $14.95. Written by practitioners for undergraduate students of health professions, the scientific foun...

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New York, NY 10020, 1978, 642 pp., $14.95. Written by practitioners for undergraduate students of health professions, the scientific foundations of nutrition are interwoven with clinically relevant problems. Study questions included in each chapter also are clinically oriented. Case studies are included to teach the student to apply theory to practice. Important discussions of ihe case studies are somewhat hidden in the appendix and may be missed by the reader unless the preface has been read. It would have been helpful after each case study to have included a sentence directing the reader. The book is organized into three major sections. Basic principles are well covered in the first section; "normal" nutrition is covered in the second and shortest section, the bulk of which is devoted to growth and development. One of the strong points of the book is the chapter on developmental considerations in infant feeding, a topic not frequently covered. "Pregnancy and Nutrition through the Later Years" is devoted primarily to pregnancy and lactation, with only brief coverage of the latter topic. A chapter on community nutrition includes a fairly good discussion of cultural food patterns, although one might argue a category of vegetarian defined as one who eats fish and chicken, but no red meat. The last section covers the consequences of disease on nutritional status. Aside from a rather weak chapter on evaluation of nutritional status and the omission of coverage of the adult in the chapter on t,he malnourished child and the immune response, the remaining chapters are quite good. This undergraduate text points up the need for additional graduate education for the practitioner to handle the complex problems of diet and disease. The book is highly recommended in spite of some shortc9mings and minor errors. One hopes these will be corrected in the next edition.

Dorice M. Narins, Ph.D., Director, Section of Clinical Nutrition, Rush University, Chicago, IL 60612.

COMMUNITY NUTRITION

Nutrition in the Community, The art of delivering services, Frankel, R., and A. Owen, C. V. Mosby Co., 11830 Westline Industrial Dr., St. Louis, MO 63141, 1978, 395 pp., $14.95. Eureka! A text on community nutrition that deals with the practice of public health and community nutrition in the U.S. This book is all it is cracked up to be by the authors: "a text that would meet the needs of students, teachers and practitioners alike-a reference book that the student could use years later when assigned the task of designing and working in community nutrition programs." In separate chapters, the functions of public health/community nutritionists in 48

Journal of Nutrition Education

Vol. II No. I

program planning, community assessment, behavioral change, evaluation, budgeting, legislation, and grantsmanship are clearly described . Historical developments pertinent to each topic are also discussed. Frequently neglected topics, including cost-benefit analysis of nutrition programs, the integration and importance of nutrition in comprehensive health care, and the effects of lifestyle on health status, are given ample attention. Professional standard review organizations, health systems agencies, the U.S. Dietary Goals, as well as all major federal and state food and nutrition programs are described and analyzed. Because of the comprehensive coverage given each major topic discussed, some overlap of information among chapters will be noted. For example, the development of program goals and objectives is presented in six chapters. However, the book is basically well edited . I believe this book will become a classic text on community nutrition. It has ended my search for a teaching and reference tool on public health nutrition. I believe it will end your search, too.

Judith E. Brown, M.P.H., Ph.D., Acting Director, Public Health Nutrition, School of Public Health, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455.

CONSUMER EDUCATION

The Commonsense Guide to Good Eating, Echols, B. E ., and J. M. Arena, Barron's Educational Series, 113 Crossways Park Dr., Woodbury, NY 11797,1978,192 pp., softcover, $3.95. A group of high school students identified the topics addressed in this book: vegetarianism, health foods, weight control, atherosclerosis, diabetes, special dietary problems, and food poisoning. One topic of current interest noticeably absent from the book is nutrition and cancer. The section on weight control is particularly well done. A series of diet plans based on exchange lists is given. In addition, the role of exercise is included as part of the weight control program. In general, the nutrition information presented is accurate, although some of it is dated . Frequent references to other sections of the book and the organization interfere with readability. _ In the introductory section, the authors state they have written a book for everyone. However, the lack of explanation of sophisticated concepts and terms makes this book most useful to motivated, fairly knowledgeable individuals, including high school students and beginning college students not majoring in nutrition. Congratulations to the students who worked on the book. Their efforts are commendable!

Christine M. Olson, Ph.D., R.D., Assistant Professor, Division of Nutritional Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853.

January-March 1979

BOOKS IN BRIEF ATHLETICS AND NUTRITION

Handbook for the Young Athlete, Smith, N., B. Ogilvie, W. Haskell, and B. Gaillard, Bull Publishing Co., Box 208, Palo Alto, CA 94302, 1978, 201 pp ., $4.95. A collection of writings from each author in his area of expertise, this handbook covers food for sport, injuries, the female athlete, athletic potential, and training and recruiting. Young athletes as well as their parents, gym teachers, and coaches should each have their own copy for ready reference. MEDICAL EDUCATION

Wholistic Dimensions in Healing, A resource guide, Kaslof, L. J., Ed., Doubleday and Co., 245 Park Ave., New York, NY 10017, 1978,295 pp., $7.95. The material in this guide is presented under topics such as childbirth, integrative medical systems, nutrition and herbs, heuristic directions, biofeedback, psychic and spiritual healing, psychophysical approaches, and humanistic and transpersonal psychotherapies. Within each section are several chapters, each prefaced by introductory comments and followed by a list of services, e.g., schools, clinics, publications, and products, available in that particular field. RESEARCH

Human Nutrition, Readings from Scientific American, Kretchmer, N., and W. Robertson, Eds., W. H. Freeman and Co., 660 Market St., San Francisco, CA 94104, 1978,275 pp., hardcover, $13.95; softcover, $7.95. Broad-spectrum articles encompassing "The Chemical Elements of Life," "The Requirements of Human Nutrition," "The Plants and Animals that Nourish Man," and "Food Additives" are included in this volume alongside more specific topics such as wheat, cattle, lactose and lactase, atherosclerosis, prostaglandins, biotin, and the social influence of the potato and of salt. There are also several articles related to the global problems of hunger and meeting food needs. WEIGHT CONTROL

Siluetas Que Puedan Cambiar, Seijo de Zayas, E ., M. Coll de Velazquez, and E. Sanchez, Zavesa, Box 3211, San Juan, PR 00904, 1978, 131 pp. $6.50. In addition to a general section on nutrition, this volume on weight control for Puerto Ricans contains a number of charts. One lists calories and grams of protein, CHO, and fat in many foods; another groups favorite Puerto Rican combinations of dishes and gives total calories; yet another presents 10 daily