Nutrition Science & Dietetics News
Nutrition major, SU student-athlete, Sam Rodgers ‘15, leads “Lift for Life” July 25
Nutrition major Sam Rodgers, who is a long snapper on the SU Men’s football team has launched “Lift for Life”, a fundraiser for brain cancer research, working in in partnership with his teammates and the national organization, Uplifting Athletes. Rogers is the president of the Syracuse University chapter of Uplifting Athletes, a national organization that partners college football teams to help fight rare disease through research. On July 25, the team will host its first Lift for Life weight lifting competition. In May, Rodgers participated in a Mission trip to Haiti to assist with projects and work with children at an orphanage.
“My teammates and I have decided to raise money for brain cancer since in 2010, Rob Long, one of our team captains, was diagnosed with a brain tumor. Rob could not participate in the end of his senior season and has since gone through 14 months of chemotherapy. After many radiation treatments and surgery, Rob celebrated his two-year anniversary of being cancer free this past spring – a feat that many people diagnosed with this disease do not reach. Rob put his heart into fighting his battle with cancer and as part of his Syracuse family we want to do the same,” explained Rodgers.
On July 25, the team will host its first Lift for Life weight lifting competition, which is organized with the offense and defense squads of the team competing against each other to see which side can lift the most weight. The amount of money raised by each squad will be factored into the final score. “This competition is set up to get as many of my teammates as possible involved with two main goals in mind: first to raise money and awareness for brain cancer and secondly, to build a foundation so that when I graduate in two years, I can appoint another teammate to carry on the tradition of Syracuse Uplifting Athletes.”
Rodgers was recently nominated for the 2013 Allstate Good Works Team, an award that recognizes players for enriching the lives of others while contributing to the greater good of their communities.
On A Mission: Rodgers & Hill Help Haiti
Alex Ptachick
For one week, from sun up to sun down, he spent his time improving a Haitian orphanage and playing with impoverished children. He welded soccer nets, built a basketball court and dug a 120-yard trench for a power source. He introduced the kids to baseball and outfitted them in sports gear he brought from home. The tears the children shed when he left were a testament to the lasting impact he made on their lives.
Sam Rodgers, a junior long snapper for the Syracuse University football team, traveled to Williamson, Haiti to serve the poverty-stricken community for one week. He was a member of an 18-person team made up of his family members, his college roommate and teammate, Macauley Hill, and others from his hometown of State College, Pa.
“My sisters and cousin fell in love with Haiti and wanted the whole family to experience it,” Rodgers said. “I’ve done some other things in the Pennsylvania area, but this was my first international Mission trip.”
Rodgers and his team traveled with a nonprofit organization called Poverty Resolutions. Based out of Pennsylvania, Poverty Resolutions is dedicated to serving the people of Haiti. The organization was created by two brothers—Andrew and Matt Jones—who traveled to Haiti following the 2010 earthquake and lived on a dollar a day for 28 days. Their goal is to educate Americans about the state of poverty in Haiti, in hopes of generating economic support.
The entire Rodgers family—made up of mom, dad, four daughters and one son, Sam—made the trip to Haiti. For some, it was the first time, but for others it was a common occurrence.
“This was my first time, but my twin sisters have been five times,” Rodgers said. “My dad actually went for the first time, along with my 26-year-old sister and her husband.”
Rodgers admitted that prior to the trip, he didn’t know what to expect. He said he heard stories from his sisters and cousin, whom are staying for the whole summer this time, but he just didn’t know what it was going to be like. He knew he was helping out at an orphanage called the “House of Hope” and he was relieved to find out he would be staying in a nice home, owned by a Haitian woman who regularly houses volunteers on Mission trips.
“On the first day, I remember walking out of the airport in Port au Prince, the capital city, and it smelled like an oven—it was so hot,” Rodgers said. “It almost felt like I was in a video game. There was just wildlife wandering—chickens and goats—and there was garbage everywhere.”
He quickly realized how these people lived and how much help is needed in a place like Haiti.
A typical day
6:45 a.m. Wake up, eat breakfast and get ready for the day.
7:30 a.m. Leave for the orphanage.
8 a.m. Arrive at the orphanage. The children are already in school. Begin working on service projects.
9:30 a.m. Recess—play with the children.
10:30 a.m. Return to work.
Noon Kindergarteners get out of school. It starts to get too hot to work, so the volunteers begin working in 30-minute increments.
1 p.m. The other children get out of school. Those who come just for school go home and the kids at the orphanage change out of their school clothes. Play with the kids.
4 p.m. Leave to go back to the house—swim, shower, eat, debrief and play games
10 p.m. Bedtime.
For seven days, Rodgers and the team repeated the same schedule with some slight variations. On Sundays, the Haitian people would go to church from 8:30 a.m.—noon. Rodgers said he and his team didn’t stay the whole time, but it was obvious how important faith was to the villagers. Wednesdays were market days. He said there were nearly five times as many village people on the street on market days, buying goods from local vendors.
“I went to the market once, and once was enough,” Rodgers said.
He told the story of how he watched a Haitian woman saw off the head of a live goat. He said it was memorable because it was so out of the ordinary and shocking to him, but then he realized that this is their life and they don’t know anything different.
Although the trip entailed a lot of hard work and a little turmoil thanks to the heat and a mild illness, Rodgers said he enjoyed his time there and plans to return.
“At the end of the stay, some kids were sad and crying,” Rodgers said. “Since you’re only there for one week, you don’t really feel like you made much of an impact because of the language barrier and everything. When you see them crying, though, it makes you realize how much you can influence them in such a short amount of time.” Rodgers experience was both rewarding and eye opening. He said he and the team he was a part of talked about making a trip during the same time next year with the same people. “Our team worked really well together,” Rodgers said. “It helped because most of us were family, but even the people not related fit right in.”
Rodgers’s involvement in the community doesn’t just stop there.
On top of maintaining high academic standing and the rigors of being a Division I athlete, he still finds time to serve the Syracuse community.
“For football we are encouraged to do community service,” Rodgers said. “We go out into the community and talk to seventh-grade classes about life skills. I also give talks about nutrition because that’s my major.”
In addition, Rodgers is a Fellowship of Christian Athletes leader and he meets with that club twice a week. He also embarked on starting a new chapter of Uplifting Athletes, a national organization, at SU.
He heard about Uplifting Athletes because of where he is from in Pennsylvania. After mentioning an annual rare disease fundraising event that takes place at Penn State University to a new graduate assistant coach after a meeting one day, Rodgers was given some contact information for the co-founder, Scott Shirley. In late April, Shirley met with Rodgers and some other teammates to tell them what the organization is all about.
Uplifting Athletes pairs college football with fundraising for a rare disease of the chapter’s choice. The organization began in 2003 at Penn State when Shirley’s father became ill with kidney cancer. Today, there are 18 chapters that hold fundraising events throughout the year and spreading awareness about various rare diseases.
The recently developed Orange Uplifting Athletes chapter decided to raise money for brain cancer. Former Orange punter, Rob Long, was affected by brain cancer during his senior year at SU. Eric Morris, starting long snapper for the Orange and the chapter’s vice president, and Rodgers are using Long’s story as inspiration, while simultaneously honoring his positive outcome.
“I think it’s incredibly kind of Sam and Eric to reach out to me,” Long said. “It’s humbling and it’s pretty cool to see that people—outside of me and my immediate family—have been affected and want to make a difference.”
Long said the goal of this chapter of Uplifting Athletes is to raise money and awareness for brain cancer research. He said the money will be used to fund better treatment options and to hopefully, one day, find a cure.
Although he is an alum, Long is actively involved in the initiation of the new club at his alma mater. He plans to address current SU football players to get them excited about supporting the cause. In addition he will make appearances at events. He wants to share his success story with the community to show them that it is possible to overcome such a traumatic disease, but the monetary backing is crucial.
Long said he feels a sense of responsibility to give back after experiencing, first hand, the effects of donors.
“What I realized early on was that my treatment had been developed pretty recently,” Long said. “I understood why it was so important to give back because somebody, at some point, gave their time, money and effort to fund research that developed the medication that ultimately helped save my life.”
Campus, Local Community Invited to Participate in Special Nutrition Consultation Program
The Department of Public Health, Food Studies and Nutrition in Syracuse University’s Falk College wants to help SU and SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry students, faculty and staff, and members of the community at large, improve eating habits and promote general well-being by making healthy food choices. Seniors and graduate students in the nutrition science and dietetics program (supervised by registered dietitians), will provide accurate, thorough and confidential dietary consultation. The program is led by Tanya Horacek, associate professor, nutrition. The deadline to sign up to participate is October 18.
Consultation sessions are private and individualized, with flexible scheduling and locations. The series of four appointments (two in person and two via phone or e-mail) will address dietary issues, but is also lifestyleoriented to ensure overall health. The cost for the program for SU/SUNY-ESF students is $25. SU/SUNY-ESF faculty, staff and their partners are $35. The fee for community members is $40. All participants who attend all consultation sessions and complete a brief survey about the program will be entered into a Healthy Monday drawing to win one of two local food baskets.
The first phase of the program includes completion of a medical and dietary survey, which will be e-mailed to participants upon registration for the program. The one-on-one appointments pair an individual with a nutrition consultant to formulate a reasonable and sustainable plan for improving dietary quality, which includes a detailed assessment of medical, dietary, weight, exercise and lifestyle factors. During this appointment, the nutrition consultant will provide detailed feedback regarding dietary quality and will help participants map out goals and a plan related to improved nutritional habits. Appointments will take place during October and November.
The confidential program is meant strictly for disease prevention/health promotion and not medical nutrition therapy. If a participant is determined to have risks beyond the scope of this program, referrals will be made for a more appropriate service and the participation fee will be refunded.
Marion Nestle Meets with Nutrition Students
The Falk College and its Department of Public Health, Food Studies and Nutrition partnered with the Office of University Lectures to bring Marion Nestle to Syracuse University November 13. A consumer activist, nutritionist, award-winning author and academic who specializes in the politics of food and dietary choice, Marion Nestle’s research examines the scientific, economic and social influences on food choice, with an emphasis on food marketing. Nearly 900 members of the campus and local community attended the event. Dr. Nestle was introduced at the evening lecture by Public Health, Food Studies and Nutrition Department Chair and Associate Professor, Kay Stearns Bruening, R.D., Ph.D., colleague and personal friend of Dr. Nestle.
A group of nutrition students formed a book club when they learned Dr. Nestle would be coming to campus and read her latest book in preparation for her visit. These students, who are members of the Falk College’s Nutrition Education and Promotion Association (NEPA) student group, asked questions about the book and her work when she was at Syracuse University on November 13.
Falk College Welcomes Marion Nestle on November 13, 2012
The Falk College and its Department of Public Health, Food Studies and Nutrition is pleased to partner with the Office of University Lectures to bring Marion Nestle to Syracuse University November 13.
A consumer activist, nutritionist, award-winning author and academic who specializes in the politics of food and dietary choice, Marion Nestle’s research examines the scientific, economic and social influences on food choice, with an emphasis on food marketing. Her current book project, “Why Calories Count: from Science to Politics,” was published in March. Her books explore issues such as the effects of food production on food safety, our environment, access to food and nutrition.
Nestle is the author of “Food Politics: How the Food Industry Influences Nutrition and Health” (2002) and “What to Eat” (2006), which was named as one of Amazon.com’s top 10 books of 2006 (Health, Mind, and Body).
Marion Nestle Biography
Marion Nestle is a consumer activist, nutritionist, award-winning author, and academic who specializes in the politics of food and dietary choice. Her research examines scientific, economic, and social influences on food choice and obesity, with an emphasis on the role of food marketing. Her books explore issues like the effects of food production on food safety, our environment, access to food and nutrition.
She is the author of “Food Politics: How the Food Industry Influences Nutrition and Health” (2002, paperback 2003, revised edition 2007) and “Safe Food: The Politics of Food Safety” (2003, paperback 2004, revised edition 2010), both from University of California Press. In 2003, Food Politics won awards from the Association for American Publishers (outstanding title in allied health), James Beard Foundation (literary), and World Hunger Year (Harry Chapin media). Safe Food won the Steinhardt School of Education’s Griffiths Research Award in 2004.
Her book, “What to Eat”, published by North Point Press/ Farrar, Straus & Giroux (2006, paperback 2007), was named as one of Amazon.com’s top ten books of 2006 (Health, Mind, and Body) , and a “Must Read” by Eating Well magazine; it won the Better Life Award (Wellness) from the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, and the James Beard Foundation book award for best food reference in 2007. “Pet Food Politics: The Chihuahua in the Coal Mine” was published by University of California Press in 2008 and in paperback in 2010. Feed Your Pet Right, co-authored with Malden Nesheim also came out in 2010 (Free Press/Simon & Schuster, May 2010). Her current book project, also with Malden Nesheim, is “Why Calories Count: from Science to Politics”, for University of California Press scheduled for publication in March 2012.
Marion Nestle is Paulette Goddard Professor in the Department of Nutrition, Food Studies, and Public Health (the department she chaired from 1988-2003) and Professor of Sociology at New York University. She also holds an appointment as visiting professor in the Cornell Division of Nutritional Sciences. Her degrees include a Ph.D. in molecular biology and an MPH in public health nutrition, both from the University of California, Berkeley. Dr. Nestle has received many awards and honors including the 2011 National Public Health Hero award from the University of California Berkeley School Of Public Health.
Her first faculty position was in the Department of Biology at Brandeis University. From 1976-86 she was Associate Dean of the University of California San Francisco (UCSF) School of Medicine, where she taught nutrition to medical students, residents, and practicing physicians, and directed a nutrition education center sponsored by the American Cancer Society.
From 1986-88, she was senior nutrition policy advisor in the Department of Health and Human Services and managing editor of the 1988 Surgeon General’s Report on Nutrition and Health. She has been a member of the FDA Food Advisory Committee and Science Board, the USDA/DHHS Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee, and American Cancer Society committees that issue dietary guidelines for cancer prevention. Her research focuses on how science and society influence dietary advice and practice.
She writes the “Food Matters” column for the San Francisco Chronicle, and blogs daily (almost) and for The Atlantic Life. She can be followed on her Twitter account @marionnestle, which TIME magazine named as one of the top 140 most influential, and one of the top 10 in health and science.
Syracuse University Graduate Studies Expo Syracuse University Life Sciences Complex Building October 27th, 2012
On Saturday, Oct. 27, 2012, Syracuse University will sponsor a campus wide visiting day for prospective graduate students. The day will include formal presentations on our Falk College graduate programs and an afternoon expo highlighting all of SU’s graduate programs with career and financial aid presentations as well. Falk College’s morning presentation will provide information on our programs in: Addiction Studies CAS, Child and Family Studies, Global Health MS, Global Health CAS, Nutrition Science, Marriage and Family Therapy, Social Work, and Sport Venue and Event Management. Below is the agenda and registration form. Please feel free to contact us if you have questions. We are happy to help!
Schedule of Events:
8:30-10:00am – Registration and Continental Breakfast
9:00-10:00am – Campus Tour Option, Presentation on Financial Aid & Housing
10:00am-12:00pm – Information Session on Falk College Programs
12:00-1:30pm – Have lunch and browse the informational tables of Syracuse University’s various schools and institutional support offices
Supporting a Classmate and Friend Relay for Life: April 14, 2012
Date: April 14, 2012
Time: 6:00 pm – 6:00 am
Location: Carrier Dome
Recently, dietetics senior Victoria ‘Tori’ Li was diagnosed with a high-grade sarcoma, which is a soft tissue malignancy, and has started treatments. Tori is a very good student in the Falk College and a wonderful citizen of the programs in nutrition science and dietetics. She has served for two years as the nutrition student liaison with the Mary Ann Shaw Center for Public/Community service.
With the SU Relay for Life coming up at the Carrier Dome on April 14th, a group of Tori’s friends, under the leadership of junior nutrition science and dietetics student Marissa Donovan, and Whitman student Eddie Zaremba, have started a relay team in her honor. Any questions regarding the group can be sent to team captains: Eddie Zaremba and Marissa Donovan.
A Letter from Marissa Donovan:
Hello everyone,
I am sure many of you have heard that our friend and classmate, Victoria Li, was recently diagnosed with cancer. Victoria is a close friend of many of you, including myself, and right now she needs support from all of us. For this reason, a team has been created in her honor, Team Tor, for Relay For Life at the Carrier Dome this year. Relay for Life takes place from 6PM to 6AM on Saturday April 14th. Please consider joining the team and/or making a donation to the American Cancer Society on behalf of our friend Tori.
At the event, our team will camp out overnight and take turns walking around the track to raise money and awareness to help the American Cancer Society. We invite any of you to stop by for any amount of time and show your support, it is not necessary to stay for the entire time.
Please see the link above to make a donation, join the team, or spread the word. I think this event is an amazing way for us to all ban together and show Tori our support for her as well as our support towards the fight against cancer.
Victoria Li is an amazing individual who has shown her selfless actions time and time again. Please consider joining this team to show your support, and spread the word.
Thank you all.
Best,
Marissa Donovan
Graduate Studies Featured at November 5 Information Session
Falk College faculty and current students welcomed potential graduate students interested in long-standing graduate programs in child and family studies, public health, marriage and family therapy, nutrition science and dietetics, and social work during a special Fall Information Session for graduate studies on Saturday, November 5 in Shemin Auditorium, Shaffer Art Building.
Detailed information was provided on the College’s newest 36-hour graduate program: the M.S. in Global Health. Admissions was available at the information session to meet with students and provide information on academic programs, scholarships and housing.
Cynthia Sass, SU alum, nutrition health expert, presents “Stop Counting, Start Living” March 3 at Syracuse University
Syracuse University alumna Cynthia Sass, one of the most well known and respected registered dietitians in the country, will present, “Stop Counting, Start Living,” on March 3 at 7:00 p.m., Heroy Auditorium, on the SU campus. This informative discussion, which is free and open to the public, will explore issues around body image in America, how it relates to nourishing the body and the mind, and how individuals may improve their body images as well as transform their relationships with food.
“In my experience, the emphasis on simply counting calories in other weight loss plans has led people to overlook the quality of those calories, which I believe is critical for both nutritional status and optimal health for students and anyone,” notes Sass. Her lecture will highlight the merits of creating an eating plan that does not require counting calories, points or grams, which she says is cumbersome, and can become obsessive and difficult to continue long-term.
The event, which is sponsored by the Nutrition Education and Promotion Association (N.E.P.A.), the Joan Christy Food and Culture Program, and the College of David B. Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics, will include a book signing of Sass’ newest book, “Cinch! Conquer Cravings, Drop Pounds and Lose Inches,” which debuted at #3 on the New York Times’ Best Seller List shortly after its release earlier this year. The Syracuse University Bookstore will have copies of Cinch! available for purchase that evening.
“Cinch is like a mini nutrition class, emotional eating and exercise workshop and cooking class all in one. My goal in writing it was to help readers better understand nutrition, how their bodies work, overcome emotional eating, fall in love with being active and to offer a simple, doable strategy that lays out what to eat, why, how much and when” explains Sass. “Within four days of its release, it was #1 in all books on amazon.com .I think it has resonated with people because it’s a simple strategy that clears up the clutter and makes eating healthy easy,” notes Sass.
A three-time New York Times best-selling author and columnist based in New York City, Sass is an often-invited guest and expert resource on shows and networks that include The Today Show, Good Morning America, The Rachel Ray Show, The Dr. Oz. Show, The Biggest Loser, Nightline, CNN, ABC World News Tonight, Fox News Live, NPR, and Sirius/XM Satellite Radio. She is now an ABC News contributor and Good Morning America Health’s ‘Food Coach.’
“NEPA members thought it would be beneficial to learn about healthy eating without focusing on being ‘skinny.’ A lot of people think that eating healthy is important to lose weight, but it is important for many other reasons,” says Marissa Donovan, fundraising chair, NEPA.
N.E.P.A is a student-run organization in the Falk College Nutrition Science and Dietetics Program that actively promotes health and wellness on campus and in the community through education and activities that involve nutrition awareness. The organization is active in many local service projects and is currently working with local soup kitchens, and community organizations.
Sass is the co-author of “Flat Belly Diet!” and “The Flat Belly Diet! Cookbook” and authored, “Your Diet is Driving Me Crazy: When Food Conflicts Get in the Way of Your Love Life.” The former nutrition director and Grocery Guru columnist at Prevention magazine, she is a contributing editor, blogger and columnist for Shape magazine. Sass is one of the first registered dietitians to become Board Certified as a Specialist in Sports Dietetics (CSSD) and is the sports nutritionist for the New York Rangers NHL team and the Tampa Bay Rays MLB team and served as the nutrition consultant to the Philadelphia Phillies from 2007-2009. She also serves as the Food Coach columnist for Remedy magazine, sports nutrition columnist for Tennis magazine, and a contributing editor, columnist and the sole nutritionist for Athletes Quarterly. She serves on the advisory boards of Whole Living, Taste of Home and Healthy Cooking magazines. She maintains a private practice in Manhattan where she counsels a wide range of people, from professional athletes, models and CEOs to new moms, teens and couples.
Cynthia graduated with highest honors from Syracuse University where she earned both a bachelor degree and a master in nutrition science (MA). She completed a second master in public health (MPH) at the University of South Florida, with an emphasis in community and family health education.
Nutrition Faculty Co-Authors
Tanya Horacek, associate professor, Department of Nutrition Science and Dietetics publishedIdentifying Clusters of College Students at Elevated Health Risk Based on Eating and Exercise Behaviors and Psychosocial Determinants of Body Weight in the March issue of Journal of the American Dietetic Association.
Horacek’s research, conducted with colleagues at eight universities in the United States, addresses health concerns pertaining to weight gain and an increase in overweight and obesity rates in college students. The research found that to effectively promote health for college students, it is important to identify subgroups of individuals who are similar to each other – tailoring health messages accordingly.
The research was conducted as a part of Project Web Health, a grant funded by the United States Department of Agriculture. Project WebHealth, the eight state research project was used to evaluate the effectiveness of an online, semi-interactive nutrition and fitness course aimed at improving dietary habits, physical fitness, and preventing weight gain.
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