06/02/04

Nine Registered Dietitians Named American Dietetic Association Media Spokespeople

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

June 2, 2004

Media contacts: Lori Ferme, Irene Perconti
800/877-1600, ext. 4802, 4806
media@eatright.org

CHICAGO - The American Dietetic Association announces the appointment of nine registered dietitians as news media spokespeople for the Association.
 
ADA’s nationwide volunteer spokesperson network consists of more than two dozen registered dietitians, from all parts of the country who conduct a total of more than 2,000 print, broadcast and electronic media interviews each year. ADA’s new spokespeople are (listed alphabetically by city):

Boston: Patricia Vasconcellos, RD, CDE, LDN
Vasconcellos is an outpatient registered dietitian at Falmouth (Mass.) Hospital/Cape Cod Healthcare. Her areas of expertise include behavior and lifestyle modification, diabetes, obesity and weight management, children’s nutrition and cardiovascular nutrition.

New York City: Cathy Nonas, MS, RD, CDE, CDN
Nonas is director of obesity and diabetes programs at North General Hospital. Her areas of expertise also include diet books and trends, diabetes and metabolic syndrome and nutrition counseling for bariatric surgery.

New York City: Bonnie Taub-Dix, MA, RD, CDN
Taub-Dix is director and owner of BTD Nutrition Consultants. Her areas of expertise include behavior and lifestyle modification; obesity and weight management, nutritional psychotherapy, food preparation and meal planning and executive health and worksite wellness.

New York City: Elisa Zied, MS, RD, CDN
Zied is a private-practice nutrition consultant, freelance health and nutrition writer and certified personal trainer. Her areas of expertise include maternal and prenatal nutrition, obesity and weight management, cardiovascular nutrition, disease prevention and children’s nutrition.

Orlando: Tara Geise, MS, RD, LD/N
Geise is director of nutrition and metabolism at Rippe Health Assessment and senior staff research nutritionist at Rippe Lifestyle Institute. Geise’s areas of expertise include executive health and worksite wellness, sports nutrition and fitness, obesity and weight management, eating disorders and vegetarianism.

Phoenix: Melinda Johnson, MS, RD
Johnson is a partnership development specialist at the Arizona Department of Health Services. Her areas of expertise include maternal, prenatal and children’s nutrition, breast feeding, food assistance programs and dietary guidelines.

Portland, Ore.: Dee Sandquist, MS, RD, CD
Sandquist is manager of the Nutrition and Diabetes Center and clinical nutrition at Southwest Washington Medical Center. Her areas of expertise include celiac disease and food allergies, eating disorders, cardiovascular and cancer nutrition and diabetes.

Sacramento: Jeannie Moloo, PhD, RD
Moloo is the owner of a nutrition consulting practice focusing on weight management, cardiovascular nutrition and disease prevention. Her areas of expertise include cardiovascular nutrition, disease prevention, children’s nutrition, gastrointestinal nutrition and nutrition counseling for bariatric surgery.

State College, Pa.: Christine Gerbstadt, MD, MPH, RD, LDN 
Gerbstadt is a physician specializing in obstetric, cardiac surgery, outpatient surgery and trauma service anesthesiology at Altoona Hospital and medical director of Mobile Medical Services in Pittsburgh. Her areas of expertise include integrative and alternative nutrition, nutrition for the elderly and the critically ill, diabetes and hypertension.

Journalists seeking interviews with these and other ADA food and nutrition experts may contact Lori Ferme, media relations manager for the American Dietetic Association, at 800/877-1600, ext. 4802,
or e-mail media@eatright.org.

With nearly 70,000 members, the Chicago-based American Dietetic Association serves the public by promoting optimal health and well-being for all people. Visit ADA at www.eatright.org.