Denver, CO, October 19, 2009 – It was announced today at the ADA Food & Nutrition Conference & Expo that Delores James, PhD, RD,LDN has been named the first Fellow in a new Weight Management Fellowship program. The Fellowship, administered by the ADA’s Weight Management Dietetic Practice Group and sponsored by ARAMARK, will focus on evaluating the effectiveness of weight management educational materials for African Americans with limited health literacy.
“ARAMARK has been a corporate partner with the American Dietetic Association since 2005. We view our sponsorship of this Fellowship as part of our responsibility to help educate and encourage people of all ages and backgrounds to adopt healthier eating practices,” said Mary Ann Wyman, RD, LD, and Executive Vice President of ARAMARK’s Healthcare group.
ADA’s Weight Management Dietetic Practice Group solicited nominations earlier this year and received numerous applications with proposed action learning projects, ultimately selecting Dr. James, an Associate Professor in the Department of Health Education and Behavior at the University of Florida. She is actively engaged in research related to obesity, weight management and health literacy, particularly around understanding the socio-cultural causes of health disparities among African Americans, low income children.
James’s work with this Fellowship will identify desirable features of culturally-based weight management educational materials, evaluate their likelihood of consumer acceptance and evaluate the consumer’s ability to understand and use the materials.
The new ADA Fellowship, exclusively sponsored by ARAMARK, was created to actively engage a registered dietitian and support professional development through a service learning project that promotes healthy lifestyle changes with respect to weight management.
About ADA
The American Dietetic Association is the world’s largest organization of food and nutrition professionals. ADA is committed to improving the nation’s health and advancing the profession of dietetics through research, education and advocacy. Visit the American Dietetic Association at http://www.eatright.org/.
About ARAMARK
ARAMARK is a leader in professional services, providing award-winning food services, facilities management, and uniform and career apparel to health care institutions, universities and school districts, stadiums and arenas, and businesses around the world. In FORTUNE magazine's 2009 list of "World's Most Admired Companies," ARAMARK was ranked number one in its industry, consistently ranking since 1998 as one of the top three most admired companies in its industry as evaluated by peers and analysts. ARAMARK seeks to responsibly address issues that matter to its clients, customers, employees and communities by focusing on employee advocacy, environmental stewardship, health and wellness, and community involvement. Headquartered in Philadelphia, ARAMARK has approximately 260,000 employees serving clients in 22 countries. Learn more at www.twitter.com/aramarknews.
Contacts:
ARAMARK
Chris Collom
215-238-3593
collom-chris@aramark.com
American Dietetic Association
Jennifer Starkey
800-877-1600, ext. 4082
media@eatright.org