- Email: [email protected]
Review of your nutrition
Letters expressing responsible reaction to or criticism of reviews printed in the Journal will be published as space permits and at the discretion of the Reviews Editor. Correspondents should refer to the guidelines in the "JNE Information for Contributors" published in the first issue of each volume ofthe Journal.
Popular Press Articles As a member of the Society for Nutrition Education since 1974, I have been watching the changes in the JNE format. It occurred to me that the section "The Popular Press" (JNE 16:152-53, 1984) would be more useful if the original article were published followed by the review. I am Director of the Human Nutrition Center of the American Soybean Association office based in Mexico City, Mexico. Finding the original journals or asking for reprints is a long, frustrating, and time-consuming process in Mexico, as it must be in other countries. Having the article printed in JNE would be far more useful than reading only the reviews. Ruth S. Orellana, R.D., Director, Human Nutrition Center, Rio Sena 26 06500 Mexico, D.F.
Reviews Editor Replies "The Popular Press" reviews section was added to JNE for two reasons: first, to inform our readers about the kinds of nutrition information and misinformation that are reaching the public; and second, to encourage popular press editors to be more discriminating about the information they print. The section provides an important service: it reports evaluations, by nutrition professionals, of the nutrition information that is being published in the popular press. In many instances, readers may wish to refer to the original article. Unfortunately, space is at a premium in the Journal, so we cannot publish the original articles. However, in order to assist those, like Dr. Orellana, who wish to secure reprints of the reviewed articles, beginning with the June issue we will include complete mailing addresses for all magazines mentioned. SarahA. Berkowitz
Review of CNA In response to the review of Comprehensive Nutritional Assessment-version 1 (JNE 16:80-81) I would like to provide the following addition to your readers. VOLUME
17
NUMBER
1
1985
CNA.1 provides much more than a prognostic nutritional index. It also includes somatic and visceral protein indices, calculates BEE (Harris-Benedict), estimates nitrogen balance, specifies whether serum albumin and transferrin levels are below normal, and if anthropometrics, lymphocytes, and skin tests are in the normal range. The program considers nonprotein calories in relation to literature recommendations as to what these should be. A two-page printout is provided. The first page is designed to "echo" the input as a check system for support team personnel and/or physicians - especially useful when nonclinical personnel are inputting the information. The second page provides a detailed summary derived from the documented calculation pathways. This hardcopy can be placed in the patient's chart. An active support team might well prefer to have a clinical picture generated via this program rather than laboriously performing calculations with a hand-held calculator. The author recognizes that institutions vary in setting cut-off standards for abnormal laboratory values and will customize the program if norms are provided. Addendum: The current version, CNA.3, has several changes, including: 1) allows user input of calorie/nitrogen ratio (default being 150:1); 2) displays error message when there is insufficient data to project prognostic nutritional index. Alan Frashier, D.P.H., 1632 Rachel's Retreat Circle, Hermitage, TN 37076.
Review of Diet Management Program We are writing in regard to the review of our program, Individualized Diet Management (JNE 16:87-88), as we feel that the review of our software left the reader with an inaccurate impression. As the reviewer acknowledged in her first paragraph, our program was written for use only by practicing health professionals who counsel diabetics and overweight individuals. It is a tool that allows very fast computation of one particular set of information (the total number of food exchanges for one day to meet a given kilocaloric level and accommodate client food preferences) and provides a printed copy of the results. It was not intended to be a tutorial or a teaching program for clients nor was it to be used by
patients or the general public. A thorough knowledge of the Exchange System for Meal Planning and the accompanying calculations are the stated prerequisites for use of the program. Before we released the software, it was tested by practicing clinical dietitians and other health professionals, and modifications were made in the program based on the tests. The dietitians felt the program filled a need and performed as stated. Further, they approved of the "crude estimates" of frame size and activity level as an acceptable method for determining kilocalorie requirements. In any case, regardless ofthe method chosen, the program will perform the computations quickly and accurately. We are gratified that the reviewer found the program "reasonably easy to use" and, by implication, the documentation adequate and the computations accurate. Our program allows rapid paging from one screen to another and also permits flexible methods for making corrections. Furthermore, special attention was given to the documentation to make sure that it was accurate and complete. It was designed to provide step-by-step assistance in operating the program. Our major concern with the review was that it obscured the program's stated purpose and usefulness as a tool for the health professional by making our program seem like a mediocre educational program for clients. Evelyn Settle Farrior, Ph.D., R.D., A.B. Buchanan, AB Software, Inc., Box3737, Greenville, NC 27836.
Review of Your Nutrition I would like to make the following comments regarding the review of Your Nutrition, a new junior high text published by South-Western Publishing Company (JNE 16:29). The comments made by the reviewers seem to charge us with publication of inaccurate nutrition information. The statement is made that "the first two chapters contain some misleading information" without telling the reader what is misleading. Although we disagree with many of the reviewers' comments, there is room for only two points to be stressed here. First, we disagree with the reviewers about the amount of scientific detail needed in a junior high textbook. A careful study of the learning characteristics of junior high students prompted us to strive for learning at their JOURNAL OF NUTRITION EDUCATION
23
Call for Reviewers The Journal of Nutrition Education invites nutrition professionals interested in reviewing books and/or other materials to complete the following form which will be added to JNE reviewer file. * Reviewers must have at least a master's degree in nutrition or comparable training in a related field. Topics are matched to reviewers' expertise. * Reviewers already on file please provide current information. Name_________________________________________________________ Job Title________________________________ Organization and Address (incl. zip)_____________________________________
Telephone Numbers_______________________________________________ If self-employed, give home address: ___________________________________
Degree(s), Major(s), Institution(s)
Types of subjects and materials that you are qualified to review, such as, maternal and child nutrition, weight control, textbooks, software, popular press articles, etc.
OLD ADDRESS: Please attach mailing label from back cover of JNE in this space.
Return to: Sarah Berkowitz, Reviews Editor, Journal of Nutrition Education , 1736 Franklin Street, 9th Floor, Oakland, CA 94612.
knowledge and awareness levels, with the hope that students would be able to comprehend broad generalizations and apply them to their own lives. The reviewers' line of reasoning would have involved couching each general statement in terms of specific deviations from the norm . If this line of reasoning were followed, all general statements about nutrition would need to have a disclaimer stating that the information was not true for such groups as anorectics, pregnant women, and the elderly. We believe this would confuse the "normal" junior high student. Nutritional problems related to anorexia nervosa, pregnancy, and the elderly are covered in a separate chapter entitled "How Important Is Food In Your Future?" Our second point is that the reviewers are dealing with semantics when they question our use of words such as "extremely heavy" to mean obese. For most junior high students, it is of limited use to quantify the term to mean twenty percent over ideal weight. This book was written, field tested, and rewritten numerous times over the course of 24
JOURNAL OF NUTRITION EDUCATION
five years to reflect: I) new and emerging trends in nutrition education (anorexia nervosa, nutrition for athletes, nutrition during the life cycle) ; 2) a balanced view, which takes into account state and regional differences in teaching nutrition, and 3) the cognitive capabilities and interests of junior high students. We are completely satisfied with the topic choices, nature of coverage, and extent of coverage of each topic . Lynn Marie Blinn, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, University of Houston Central Campus, Dept. of Human Development and Consumer Sciences, Houston, TX 77004.
Review of Nutritionist Programs The Nutritionist and Nutritionist II software programs for nutrient and diet analysis were reviewed in the June 1984 issue of the Journal of Nutrition Education. The following statements correct the portions of those reviews that were in error (in the order that they appeared in the reviews): 1. The database of 730 foods for the
Nutritionist program has unlimited expandability. There is a mechanism for printing, listing, and indexing the added foods entered by the user. 2. The Nutritionist and Nutritionist II programs include all utilities for editing the nutrient values for all foods in the database. These capabilities enable the user to add new data as they become available. Any program without this capability would become obsolete within a few years , as new data are constantly being published by the USDA . Yet, the review stated, "The user's ability to alter the original database clouds the credibility of any derived analysis." 3. Our Nutritionist JJprogram contains a database of 843 foods, including fast foods and baby foods. The user may add an unlimited number of foods and write over existing foods. There is a mechanism for printing, listing, and indexing these added foods, and therefore, the program does not "limit access to total food-item data storage." Laurie North-Charvet, Vice-President, N-Squared Computing, 5318 Forest Ridge Rd., Silverton, OR 97381. VOLUME
17
NUMBER
1
1985
Popular Press Articles As a member of the Society for Nutrition Education since 1974, I have been watching the changes in the JNE format. It occurred to me that the section "The Popular Press" (JNE 16:152-53, 1984) would be more useful if the original article were published followed by the review. I am Director of the Human Nutrition Center of the American Soybean Association office based in Mexico City, Mexico. Finding the original journals or asking for reprints is a long, frustrating, and time-consuming process in Mexico, as it must be in other countries. Having the article printed in JNE would be far more useful than reading only the reviews. Ruth S. Orellana, R.D., Director, Human Nutrition Center, Rio Sena 26 06500 Mexico, D.F.
Reviews Editor Replies "The Popular Press" reviews section was added to JNE for two reasons: first, to inform our readers about the kinds of nutrition information and misinformation that are reaching the public; and second, to encourage popular press editors to be more discriminating about the information they print. The section provides an important service: it reports evaluations, by nutrition professionals, of the nutrition information that is being published in the popular press. In many instances, readers may wish to refer to the original article. Unfortunately, space is at a premium in the Journal, so we cannot publish the original articles. However, in order to assist those, like Dr. Orellana, who wish to secure reprints of the reviewed articles, beginning with the June issue we will include complete mailing addresses for all magazines mentioned. SarahA. Berkowitz
Review of CNA In response to the review of Comprehensive Nutritional Assessment-version 1 (JNE 16:80-81) I would like to provide the following addition to your readers. VOLUME
17
NUMBER
1
1985
CNA.1 provides much more than a prognostic nutritional index. It also includes somatic and visceral protein indices, calculates BEE (Harris-Benedict), estimates nitrogen balance, specifies whether serum albumin and transferrin levels are below normal, and if anthropometrics, lymphocytes, and skin tests are in the normal range. The program considers nonprotein calories in relation to literature recommendations as to what these should be. A two-page printout is provided. The first page is designed to "echo" the input as a check system for support team personnel and/or physicians - especially useful when nonclinical personnel are inputting the information. The second page provides a detailed summary derived from the documented calculation pathways. This hardcopy can be placed in the patient's chart. An active support team might well prefer to have a clinical picture generated via this program rather than laboriously performing calculations with a hand-held calculator. The author recognizes that institutions vary in setting cut-off standards for abnormal laboratory values and will customize the program if norms are provided. Addendum: The current version, CNA.3, has several changes, including: 1) allows user input of calorie/nitrogen ratio (default being 150:1); 2) displays error message when there is insufficient data to project prognostic nutritional index. Alan Frashier, D.P.H., 1632 Rachel's Retreat Circle, Hermitage, TN 37076.
Review of Diet Management Program We are writing in regard to the review of our program, Individualized Diet Management (JNE 16:87-88), as we feel that the review of our software left the reader with an inaccurate impression. As the reviewer acknowledged in her first paragraph, our program was written for use only by practicing health professionals who counsel diabetics and overweight individuals. It is a tool that allows very fast computation of one particular set of information (the total number of food exchanges for one day to meet a given kilocaloric level and accommodate client food preferences) and provides a printed copy of the results. It was not intended to be a tutorial or a teaching program for clients nor was it to be used by
patients or the general public. A thorough knowledge of the Exchange System for Meal Planning and the accompanying calculations are the stated prerequisites for use of the program. Before we released the software, it was tested by practicing clinical dietitians and other health professionals, and modifications were made in the program based on the tests. The dietitians felt the program filled a need and performed as stated. Further, they approved of the "crude estimates" of frame size and activity level as an acceptable method for determining kilocalorie requirements. In any case, regardless ofthe method chosen, the program will perform the computations quickly and accurately. We are gratified that the reviewer found the program "reasonably easy to use" and, by implication, the documentation adequate and the computations accurate. Our program allows rapid paging from one screen to another and also permits flexible methods for making corrections. Furthermore, special attention was given to the documentation to make sure that it was accurate and complete. It was designed to provide step-by-step assistance in operating the program. Our major concern with the review was that it obscured the program's stated purpose and usefulness as a tool for the health professional by making our program seem like a mediocre educational program for clients. Evelyn Settle Farrior, Ph.D., R.D., A.B. Buchanan, AB Software, Inc., Box3737, Greenville, NC 27836.
Review of Your Nutrition I would like to make the following comments regarding the review of Your Nutrition, a new junior high text published by South-Western Publishing Company (JNE 16:29). The comments made by the reviewers seem to charge us with publication of inaccurate nutrition information. The statement is made that "the first two chapters contain some misleading information" without telling the reader what is misleading. Although we disagree with many of the reviewers' comments, there is room for only two points to be stressed here. First, we disagree with the reviewers about the amount of scientific detail needed in a junior high textbook. A careful study of the learning characteristics of junior high students prompted us to strive for learning at their JOURNAL OF NUTRITION EDUCATION
23
Call for Reviewers The Journal of Nutrition Education invites nutrition professionals interested in reviewing books and/or other materials to complete the following form which will be added to JNE reviewer file. * Reviewers must have at least a master's degree in nutrition or comparable training in a related field. Topics are matched to reviewers' expertise. * Reviewers already on file please provide current information. Name_________________________________________________________ Job Title________________________________ Organization and Address (incl. zip)_____________________________________
Telephone Numbers_______________________________________________ If self-employed, give home address: ___________________________________
Degree(s), Major(s), Institution(s)
Types of subjects and materials that you are qualified to review, such as, maternal and child nutrition, weight control, textbooks, software, popular press articles, etc.
OLD ADDRESS: Please attach mailing label from back cover of JNE in this space.
Return to: Sarah Berkowitz, Reviews Editor, Journal of Nutrition Education , 1736 Franklin Street, 9th Floor, Oakland, CA 94612.
knowledge and awareness levels, with the hope that students would be able to comprehend broad generalizations and apply them to their own lives. The reviewers' line of reasoning would have involved couching each general statement in terms of specific deviations from the norm . If this line of reasoning were followed, all general statements about nutrition would need to have a disclaimer stating that the information was not true for such groups as anorectics, pregnant women, and the elderly. We believe this would confuse the "normal" junior high student. Nutritional problems related to anorexia nervosa, pregnancy, and the elderly are covered in a separate chapter entitled "How Important Is Food In Your Future?" Our second point is that the reviewers are dealing with semantics when they question our use of words such as "extremely heavy" to mean obese. For most junior high students, it is of limited use to quantify the term to mean twenty percent over ideal weight. This book was written, field tested, and rewritten numerous times over the course of 24
JOURNAL OF NUTRITION EDUCATION
five years to reflect: I) new and emerging trends in nutrition education (anorexia nervosa, nutrition for athletes, nutrition during the life cycle) ; 2) a balanced view, which takes into account state and regional differences in teaching nutrition, and 3) the cognitive capabilities and interests of junior high students. We are completely satisfied with the topic choices, nature of coverage, and extent of coverage of each topic . Lynn Marie Blinn, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, University of Houston Central Campus, Dept. of Human Development and Consumer Sciences, Houston, TX 77004.
Review of Nutritionist Programs The Nutritionist and Nutritionist II software programs for nutrient and diet analysis were reviewed in the June 1984 issue of the Journal of Nutrition Education. The following statements correct the portions of those reviews that were in error (in the order that they appeared in the reviews): 1. The database of 730 foods for the
Nutritionist program has unlimited expandability. There is a mechanism for printing, listing, and indexing the added foods entered by the user. 2. The Nutritionist and Nutritionist II programs include all utilities for editing the nutrient values for all foods in the database. These capabilities enable the user to add new data as they become available. Any program without this capability would become obsolete within a few years , as new data are constantly being published by the USDA . Yet, the review stated, "The user's ability to alter the original database clouds the credibility of any derived analysis." 3. Our Nutritionist JJprogram contains a database of 843 foods, including fast foods and baby foods. The user may add an unlimited number of foods and write over existing foods. There is a mechanism for printing, listing, and indexing these added foods, and therefore, the program does not "limit access to total food-item data storage." Laurie North-Charvet, Vice-President, N-Squared Computing, 5318 Forest Ridge Rd., Silverton, OR 97381. VOLUME
17
NUMBER
1
1985