David L. Katz, MD

Introducing the National Exchange for Weight Loss Resistance™ (NEWLR)

An increasing number of people struggle with weight loss. For many, the attempts to control their weight feel like an elusive struggle - regardless of their efforts, the pounds don’t seem to come off. The reasons may be more complex than simply consuming fewer calories or burning more calories through physical activity. For example, genes, metabolic factors, or even the microbes in their intestinal systems can all play a role in the body’s resistance to attempts to lose weight.

Now, thanks to a new online forum called the National Exchange for Weight Loss Resistance™ NEWLR), people who struggle with this issue can find up-to-date reliable information about weight loss resistance; exchange ideas, stories, and tips; find support from health experts and each other; and feel empowered to seek common solutions. The idea for this forum was sparked by Dr. David L. Katz, director of the Yale-Griffin Prevention Research Center, who in his medical practice has encountered many patients dealing with weight loss resistance.

In addition to providing an online forum for discussion, NEWLR is developing a registry to identify and investigate the characteristics of people age 18 years or older who have found it hard to lose weight despite repeated attempts at dieting and regular physical exercise. Those who enroll in the registry will be asked to complete a survey about their health, their weight history, and any weight loss strategies they have tried. They will be also asked to sign a consent form for the use of their personal data for research purposes. There is no fee to become a member of the online forum and/or registry.

The NEWLR is financially supported by the Turn the Tide Foundation Inc.. Dr. Valentina Vinante, a visiting medical resident from the University of Florence in Italy, has been serving as project manager.

Harvard Study Finds that NuVal Scores Can Predict the Risk for Chronic Diseases

An article in the May 2011 issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine describes a study by Harvard researchers of the Overall Nutritional Quality Index (ONQI) algorithm that powers the NuVal™ Nutritional Scoring System used in several major supermarket chains in the U.S. The ONQI algorithm, developed by Dr. David L. Katz and a team of nutrition experts from the U.S. and Canada, ranks foods on a scale from 1 to 100 based on their overall nutritional quality (the higher the score, the higher the nutritional value). The algorithm incorporates more than 30 dietary components in assigning each score.

The Harvard researchers sought to find out whether diets with a higher ONQI score (i.e., healthier diets) could predict a lower risk of developing a major chronic disease. They examined data collected between 1986 and 2006 from participants in two major health studies (more than 62,000 healthy women from the Nurses' Health Study and more than 42,000 healthy men from the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study). Using dietary data collected at the start of each study, they assigned ONQI scores to each food product reportedly consumed by participants in these studies, and calculated an average ONQI score for each participant’s diet. They then assigned an overall score for chronic disease based on reported events of cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, and non-trauma death among participants. They found that the higher the ONQI score, the lower the risk for total chronic disease, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and all-cause mortality (but not cancer) in both sets of participants. The researchers concluded that consuming foods that lead to a higher ONQI score is associated with a modestly lower risk of chronic disease and all-cause mortality. For more information on this study, see Chiuve SE, Sampson L, Willett WC. The Association between a Nutritional Quality Index and Risk of Chronic Disease. American Journal of Preventive Medicine 2011 May; 40(5):505-13.

Dr. Katz is Honored by the American Dietetic Association and the University of Buffalo

The American Dietetic Association and the University of Buffalo have honored Dr. David Katz by awarding invitations to deliver two prestigious lectures in the fall of 2011.

The first invitation was to serve as the 2011 Lenna Frances Cooper Memorial Lecturer on September 25th at the American Dietetic Association Food & Nutrition Conference & Expo (FNCE) held at the San Diego Convention Center, in recognition of his distinguished career and remarkable contributions to the dietetics profession. Each fall, the American Dietetic Association sponsors the world's largest meeting of food and nutrition experts – which is attended by more than 6,000 registered dietitians, nutrition science researchers, policy makers, health-care providers and industry leaders attend the annual meeting - to address key issues affecting the health of all Americans. The title of Dr. Katz’s lecture was "The Road to Health is Paved with Good Inventions." Lenna Frances Cooper was a leader and innovator in the development of dietetics as a science and profession, and co-founded the American Dietetic Association in 1917.

The second invitation was to serve as the keynote speaker on November 4th at the 23rd Annual J. Warren Perry Award and Lectureship at the University at Buffalo. The university invited Dr. Katz to speak on the basis of his role as an international authority on nutrition, weight control and the prevention of chronic disease. The J. Warren Perry Award and Distinguished Lectureship is the School of Public Health and Health Professions' lecture series honoring the late J. Warren Perry, Ph.D., founding Dean of the School of Health Related Professions at the State University of New York at Buffalo. Dr. Perry, who was one of the pioneers in the field of allied health, served as Dean from 1966 until his retirement in 1977. The award and lectureship, which was initiated in 1989, recognizes individuals who have provided exemplary leadership in Public Health, Health Professions or the Health Sciences. The award has been conferred on eminent professionals from a variety of fields. Past Honorees include: Stephen Blair of the Cooper Institute for Aerobics Research; Thomas Robinson of the College of Allied Health Professions in Lexington, Kentucky; Shiriki Kumanyika of the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine; Stanley P. Azen of the Keck School of Medicine; Richard E. Besser of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; and Linda Rae Murray, President of the American Public Health Association.