I hope this now rather occasional note finds you well, and looking forward to an enjoyable summer despite such challenges as the cost of gasoline!

First, the Overall Nutritional Quality Index, or ONQI (www.onqi.com) is scheduled to launch by September in roughly 500 lead market supermarkets around the country. The ONQI is a sophisticated algorithm, based on the work of a dozen top nutrition scientists over 2 years, that assigns a single, summary score of overall nutritional quality to any food on a scale from 1 to 100. The higher the number, the more nutritious the food. We are no projecting to be in roughly 5,000 supermarkets by the time of our full-scale national roll-out in March of 2009, so look for it in a supermarket near you. And if you don't find it there- ask for it!

Second, we have just completed a terrific upgrade of the ABC for Fitness Manual, in collaboration with the school district of New Haven, CT, and the CT Department of Education. The new manual includes many more 'activity bursts,' and detailed guidance for combining activities with teaching, and for matching activities to grade level, and subject. We'll be uploading this revision to my website within the next few weeks.

Third, NSA, the makers of Juice Plus®, generously offered to fund the production of Nutrition Detectives - the DVD. We have dates scheduled in July with a top-notch production company, and anticipate a video version of Nutrition Detectives that will be as engaging as it is educational. The DVDs should be available by the start of the 2008/2009 school year; look for an announcement on my website around then.

Also, regarding Nutrition Detectives, we have early data in from our on-going evaluation in 13 elementary schools in Independence, MO. The data look great - the program appears to be succeeding in teaching both children, and their parents, to make better food choices. We are in the process of preparing a manuscript for publication. On that topic, you can find many of the publications we generate at the PRC by going to www.pubmed.gov, and typing "Katz DL" in the search box.

If you happen to be a health care provider, you may be interested in my latest book, "Nutrition in Clinical Practice, 2nd Edition." It was published by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins in April. In my humble and objective opinion, it’s pretty darn good!

Please recall that in lieu of regular newsletters, I provide a blog every week, and most days, at www.prevention.com. Please visit, and share your thoughts with me there if I say anything that provokes you to agree, or disagree!

Finally, on a personal note, my two oldest daughters had successful years at the University of Vermont and the University of Michigan, respectively. And my youngest daughter gave a very moving speech as president of her graduating 6th grade class.

With best regards,