Association Positions Committee (APC) Report Spring 2008

Since September 2007, the Association Positions Committee (APC) met face-to-face at FNCE 2007 in Philadelphia and via conference call in November 2007 and February 2008.

The Committee’s Accomplishments During this Timeframe are:

  • Approval by the House Leadership Team (HLT) of a proposal to increase APC membership from 7 to 10 members and to lengthen members’ terms of office from two to three years.
  • Approval by HLT of a proposal/pilot program to reorganize the current position paper format to include a companion practice paper. The pilot format will be evaluated in three years.
  • A survey of all ADA members was conducted to evaluate the Agriculture and Food Biotechnology position paper to determine if the membership approved of the paper, as written. Although 64% of the respondents thought the paper was useful, APC concurred that a minor update of the paper should be completed prior to the expiration date in 2010.
  • Development and publication of one position paper "Nutrition and Lifestyle for a Healthy Pregnancy Outcome" (update).
  • Development of two Hot Topics, "Superfoods" and "Functional Beverages" and posting on the ADA Position Paper Web site.
  • Revised selected APC policies and procedures.

Ongoing Activities Since September 2007 are:

  • One updated position paper is planned for publication in May: "Ethical and Legal Issues in Nutrition, Hydration and Feeding"
  • One new position is nearing completion: "Obesity, Reproduction and Pregnancy Outcome"
  • Two updated positions are nearing completion: "Dietary Guidance Healthy Children Ages 2-11 Years" and "Nutrition and Athletic Performance"
  • Five positions are being updated: "Weight Management", "Health Implications of Dietary Fiber", "Vegetarian Nutrition", "Functional Foods" and "Food and Water Safety"
  • Selection of authors, reviewers and content advisors for six papers has occurred and the writing of the papers are underway:

      New Position Paper
    • "Food and Nutrition Programs for Older Adults"
      • Update Position Papers
    • "Integration of Medical Nutrition Therapy and Pharmacotherapy"
    • "Promoting and Supporting Breastfeeding"
    • "Nutrition Intervention in the Care of Persons with Human Immunodeficiency Virus Infection"
    • "Fortification and Nutritional Supplements"
    • "Home Care"
  • Development of two Hot Topics is underway with posting on the ADA Position Paper Web site planned by the end of May 2008.

More detailed information regarding ADA Position Papers, Practice Papers and Hot Topics is available on the ADA Web site at: www.eatright.org/positions or click on Position Papers on the left side of ADA’s home page.

For additional information please contact: Donna L. Wickstrom at dwickst@eatright.org or 800/877-1600 ext. 4835.

APC Committee Members 2007-2008
Helen W. Lane, PhD, RD (Chair)
Katrina Holt, MPH, MS, RD
Lorraine Lewis, EdD, RD, CD
Moya Peters, MA, RD, LMNT
Alana Cline, PhD, RD
Andrea Hutchins, PhD, RD
Carol Sloan, RD
Donna L. Wickstrom, MS, RD, ADA Staff Partner

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