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SNE, JNE, and the postal service
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Economy, Emotions, and Ethics Some of the current issues which may affect future programs in nutrition education focus on economy, emotions, and ethics. The economic issue is reflected in the legislative mood of the country. There are proposals to reduce the funding of many of the food supplement programs as well as the nutrition· education components of these programs. The emotional focus is reflected by the recent hearings on food advertising to children. The ethics of the food and nutrition message is apparent in discussions about the kinds of claims which can be made relating to long-term effects of nutrition and food safety as factors in the prevention of disease and the well-being of the individual. Economy. Because of the pressures of inflation and public interest in cutting taxes, the amount of money available to spend on food and social or educational assistance programs is going to be under careful scrutiny. The role of nutrition education in future programs will only be as strong as its proven worth. Logically, it would appear that when people have limited money to spend for food, they are more apt to gain satisfaction from the choices which they make if they are adequately informed. We have little data which can help to document the cost/benefits of nutrition education in nutrition intervention programs. Yet the educational component of programs should receive even greater emphasis when money is tight. Nutrition educators must provide data to ensure this emphasis occurs. Emotion. One effective way to assure interest in a cause or problem is to appeal to public emotions. The hearings on food advertising to children provide an excellent example. The question of whether there should be unrestricted advertising oHood products containing a high proportion of sugar aroused strong emotions in consumers, parents, professionals, and food industry officials. Probably one of the differences in approach to food issues between the nutrition scientist and the nutrition educator is at the emotional level. The nutrition educator who is trying
to change behavior often imparts the nutrition message directly to people in the emotional setting of actual food practices. For this reason, it can be discouraging that advertising relating to food choices is strongly focused around sweetness and the sensual qualities of food. While at the scientific or technological level, a reasonable amount of added sugar per se may not be detrimental to health, the emotional appeal of sweetness as a necessary part of "the good life" results in a counter-nutrition message that is difficult to overcome by education. The challenge is to meld the scientific knowledge with the emotional response to assure that the resulting educational approach provides the recipient with a variety of criteria on which to make informed food choices. Ethics. The ethics of professional recommendations and government regulations raises another series of considerations. The risks/benefits are a part of this issue. For example, does one provide a simplistic answer such as, "Cut down on fat," to the complex problem of heart disease? Furthermore, a variety of social, economic, and political pressures increasingly play an important role in decision making of government actions, such as food safety regulations. Recently, Sanford A. Miller, Director, Bureau of Foods, Food and Drug Administration, defined the principal factor in "benefit" as "the improvement of the health of the society." However, he said the current regulation strategies "are no longer adequate." Additionally, he indicated that there are no adequate tools to evaluate hazards. This, then, requires nutrition educators to become informed about the levels of risks/benefits which are related to food supply and health. Nutrition educators are constantly challenged to review and incorporate current issues into the educational process. The issues of economy, emotions, and ethics are cited as examples of the complexities of issues with which we must deal today. Are you ready to meet this challenge?
Helen D. Ullrich
SNE, JNE, and the Postal Service As SNE's quarterly scheduled publication, the Journal of Nutrition Education (JNE) has the privilege of being mailed at second class rates. This is cheaper than most other classes and has priority over all but first class. Yet it may still take two weeks for a journal to reach the East Coast. JNE is published in the middle of each quarter; for example, issue no. I (JanuaryMarch), in mid-February. Publishing has its ups and downs, so don't assume your journal is lost unless it doesn't arrive by the beginning of the next quarter. Please note that all claims for lost issues must be received by SNE within three months of the publication date. For example, assume issue no. I is lost if it doesn't arrive during April; then claim it by mid-May. The most common reason journals become "lost" is change of address. To receive your journals without interruption, SNE must receive a change of address six to eight weeks before the publication date. For example, notify SNE of any intended address change for issue no. I no later than the first week in January and preferably by mid-December; and be sure to include the code printed on your label, such as 96818PARR1144KA, since it identifies you to the computer. 4
Journal of Nutrition Education
Vol. 11 No.1
January-March 1979
You must guarantee forwarding postage before the post office will send a publication on to another address: just mark the appropriate box on the standard mail-forwarding card available at your post office. If you do not guarantee forwarding postage, the journal label is removed by the post office and returned to SNE with the address change noted. The journal is then destroyed! SNE is charged for each notification of this type. This can be especially costly if a member moves several times in one year without properly notifying SNE. If you do not send SNE a change of address directly and a journal is sent to your old address more than 90 days after you registered a new address, even if you guaranteed forwarding postage, the journal will not be forwarded. Instead, the label will be clipped and returned to SNE with the address change. Again, the journal will be destroyed; and SNE will be charged for this service. If you realize that you are missing an issue after the claim period has elapsed, you may order a single issue. To purchase issues, make claims, file address changes, etc., please contact: Subscriptions Department, Journal of Nutrition Education, 2140 Shattuck Avenue, Suite 1110, Berkeley, CA 94704.
T
o
R
I A L
Economy, Emotions, and Ethics Some of the current issues which may affect future programs in nutrition education focus on economy, emotions, and ethics. The economic issue is reflected in the legislative mood of the country. There are proposals to reduce the funding of many of the food supplement programs as well as the nutrition· education components of these programs. The emotional focus is reflected by the recent hearings on food advertising to children. The ethics of the food and nutrition message is apparent in discussions about the kinds of claims which can be made relating to long-term effects of nutrition and food safety as factors in the prevention of disease and the well-being of the individual. Economy. Because of the pressures of inflation and public interest in cutting taxes, the amount of money available to spend on food and social or educational assistance programs is going to be under careful scrutiny. The role of nutrition education in future programs will only be as strong as its proven worth. Logically, it would appear that when people have limited money to spend for food, they are more apt to gain satisfaction from the choices which they make if they are adequately informed. We have little data which can help to document the cost/benefits of nutrition education in nutrition intervention programs. Yet the educational component of programs should receive even greater emphasis when money is tight. Nutrition educators must provide data to ensure this emphasis occurs. Emotion. One effective way to assure interest in a cause or problem is to appeal to public emotions. The hearings on food advertising to children provide an excellent example. The question of whether there should be unrestricted advertising oHood products containing a high proportion of sugar aroused strong emotions in consumers, parents, professionals, and food industry officials. Probably one of the differences in approach to food issues between the nutrition scientist and the nutrition educator is at the emotional level. The nutrition educator who is trying
to change behavior often imparts the nutrition message directly to people in the emotional setting of actual food practices. For this reason, it can be discouraging that advertising relating to food choices is strongly focused around sweetness and the sensual qualities of food. While at the scientific or technological level, a reasonable amount of added sugar per se may not be detrimental to health, the emotional appeal of sweetness as a necessary part of "the good life" results in a counter-nutrition message that is difficult to overcome by education. The challenge is to meld the scientific knowledge with the emotional response to assure that the resulting educational approach provides the recipient with a variety of criteria on which to make informed food choices. Ethics. The ethics of professional recommendations and government regulations raises another series of considerations. The risks/benefits are a part of this issue. For example, does one provide a simplistic answer such as, "Cut down on fat," to the complex problem of heart disease? Furthermore, a variety of social, economic, and political pressures increasingly play an important role in decision making of government actions, such as food safety regulations. Recently, Sanford A. Miller, Director, Bureau of Foods, Food and Drug Administration, defined the principal factor in "benefit" as "the improvement of the health of the society." However, he said the current regulation strategies "are no longer adequate." Additionally, he indicated that there are no adequate tools to evaluate hazards. This, then, requires nutrition educators to become informed about the levels of risks/benefits which are related to food supply and health. Nutrition educators are constantly challenged to review and incorporate current issues into the educational process. The issues of economy, emotions, and ethics are cited as examples of the complexities of issues with which we must deal today. Are you ready to meet this challenge?
Helen D. Ullrich
SNE, JNE, and the Postal Service As SNE's quarterly scheduled publication, the Journal of Nutrition Education (JNE) has the privilege of being mailed at second class rates. This is cheaper than most other classes and has priority over all but first class. Yet it may still take two weeks for a journal to reach the East Coast. JNE is published in the middle of each quarter; for example, issue no. I (JanuaryMarch), in mid-February. Publishing has its ups and downs, so don't assume your journal is lost unless it doesn't arrive by the beginning of the next quarter. Please note that all claims for lost issues must be received by SNE within three months of the publication date. For example, assume issue no. I is lost if it doesn't arrive during April; then claim it by mid-May. The most common reason journals become "lost" is change of address. To receive your journals without interruption, SNE must receive a change of address six to eight weeks before the publication date. For example, notify SNE of any intended address change for issue no. I no later than the first week in January and preferably by mid-December; and be sure to include the code printed on your label, such as 96818PARR1144KA, since it identifies you to the computer. 4
Journal of Nutrition Education
Vol. 11 No.1
January-March 1979
You must guarantee forwarding postage before the post office will send a publication on to another address: just mark the appropriate box on the standard mail-forwarding card available at your post office. If you do not guarantee forwarding postage, the journal label is removed by the post office and returned to SNE with the address change noted. The journal is then destroyed! SNE is charged for each notification of this type. This can be especially costly if a member moves several times in one year without properly notifying SNE. If you do not send SNE a change of address directly and a journal is sent to your old address more than 90 days after you registered a new address, even if you guaranteed forwarding postage, the journal will not be forwarded. Instead, the label will be clipped and returned to SNE with the address change. Again, the journal will be destroyed; and SNE will be charged for this service. If you realize that you are missing an issue after the claim period has elapsed, you may order a single issue. To purchase issues, make claims, file address changes, etc., please contact: Subscriptions Department, Journal of Nutrition Education, 2140 Shattuck Avenue, Suite 1110, Berkeley, CA 94704.