Dianne Neumark-Sztainer | |
---|---|
Occupation(s) | Researcher, academic, author |
Academic background | |
Education | BA, Biology and Nutrition (1980) Masters in Public Health (1987) Ph.D., Behavioral Sciences and Nutrition (1993) |
Alma mater | Cornell University Hebrew University |
Academic work | |
Institutions | University of Minnesota |
Dianne Neumark-Sztainer is a University of Minnesota Regents Professor in the Division of Epidemiology and Community Health at the School of Public Health. She is a scholar on adolescent and young adult eating and weight-related health.
Neumark-Sztainer's research on eating disorders prevention,conducted in secondary schools in Jerusalem,Israel,was among the first in the literature to combine scientific design with intervention elements. [1] Her Project EAT study,established in 1995,is one of the leading studies on eating and weight-related outcomes,including obesity,poor dietary intake,inadequate physical activity,disordered eating behaviors,and body dissatisfaction,among adolescents and young adults from diverse backgrounds. [2] A significant part of her work has focused on family meals including frequency,types of foods served,and benefits of eating together as a family. Some of her later work explores the potential for using yoga as a tool for addressing weight-related problems. She has written over 500 scientific articles and one book titled,"I’m,Like,SO Fat!":Helping Your Teen Make Healthy Choices about Eating and Exercise in a Weight Obsessed World. [3]
Thomson Reuters recognized her for being in the top 1% cited researchers in her field. [4] In 2018,Neumark-Sztainer received an Outstanding Investigator Award from the National Institutes of Health. [5] She has also received awards from the Academy for Eating Disorders,the National Eating Disorders Association,and the Eating Disorders Coalition.
Neumark-Sztainer received a BA in Biology and Nutrition from Cornell University in 1980. She then moved to Israel,where she studied at Hebrew University Braun School of Public Health and Community Medicine,completing her Master's in Public Health in 1987 and her Ph.D. in Behavioral Sciences and Nutrition in 1993. While completing her Ph.D.,she worked as a Health Educator-Nutritionist in the Department of Social Medicine-Hadassah Medical Organization from 1990 to 1994. She then returned to the United States where she completed her postdoctoral training at the University of Minnesota. [6]
In 1995,Neumark-Sztainer joined the University of Minnesota as an Assistant Professor,becoming Associate Professor in 1999 and Full Professor in 2004. In 2015,she was appointed as the Head of Division of Epidemiology and Community Health in the School of Public Health at the University of Minnesota. [6]
Neumark-Sztainer began studying factors associated with eating,physical activity,and weight-related outcomes in the 1990s. At the time,there was limited knowledge about the types of factors that needed to be addressed to improve adolescent weight-related health. Neumark-Sztainer established what has become the largest longitudinal body of research examining predictors of eating- and weight-related problems in young people —the Project EAT (Eating and Activity among Teens and Young Adults). The 1999 paper was the first published paper from Project EAT. [7] As of 2020,Project EAT has collected 15 years of follow-up data on a cohort during the transition from adolescence to adulthood. A second cohort of young people is also being studied in the Eating and Activity over Time study. The Project EAT body of research has generated more than 300 peer-reviewed papers. [8]
Neumark-Sztainer has been the Principal Investigator on all of the Project EAT studies (Projects EAT-I,II,III,and IV;Project F-EAT;EAT 2010;and EAT 2010-2018) and received an NIH Outstanding Investigator grant award related to continuing work with Project EAT in 2018. [8]
Neumark-Sztainer's research for Project EAT has led to an understanding of the importance of family and the home environment in influencing eating behaviors,physical activity,body image,weight status,and disordered eating among adolescents and young adults. Findings have provided insight into how parents should and should not talk about weight at home. Neumark-Sztainer and her team have found family meals to be cross-sectionally and longitudinally related to a number of positive outcomes including better dietary intake,greater psychosocial well-being,and a reduced risk of using unhealthy weight control behaviors. [9] She and her team also published some of the early work on family weight talk and associations with various outcomes. These findings served as the basis for her book,"I'm,Like,SO Fat!":Helping Your Teen Make Healthy Choices about Eating and Exercise in a Weight Obsessed World. [10]
A major part of Neumark-Sztainer's research has been focused on identifying shared risk factors for obesity and disordered eating behaviors,which should be addressed in behavioral interventions. Some of the key-shared risk factors identified in her research include weight stigma, [11] body dissatisfaction, [12] and dieting. [13] Her work also supports the development of interventions to address a spectrum of weight-related problems. [14]
Neumark-Sztainer has developed and evaluated various behavioral interventions aimed at addressing weight status in conjunction with problems such as disordered eating,body dissatisfaction,poor eating patterns,and low participation in physical activity. She developed New Moves in 2010,which is an all-girls physical education class,supplemented with activities aimed at improving eating patterns and self-image. [14]
Neumark-Sztainer was one of the first investigators to develop,implement,and evaluate an intervention aimed at preventing risk factors for eating disorders and other weight-related problems. For her Ph.D. dissertation,she developed "The Weigh to Eat," implemented the program within high schools,and evaluated its impact in a controlled design over a two-year period. [15] Her work in this field has continued within the domains of school,community,family,and public policy.[ citation needed ]
An eating disorder is a mental disorder defined by abnormal eating behaviors that negatively affect a person's physical or mental health. Types of eating disorders include binge eating disorder,where the patient eats a large amount in a short period of time;anorexia nervosa,where the person has an intense fear of gaining weight and restricts food or overexercises to manage this fear;bulimia nervosa,where individuals eat a large quantity (binging) then try to rid themselves of the food (purging);pica,where the patient eats non-food items;rumination syndrome,where the patient regurgitates undigested or minimally digested food;avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID),where people have a reduced or selective food intake due to some psychological reasons;and a group of other specified feeding or eating disorders. Anxiety disorders,depression and substance abuse are common among people with eating disorders. These disorders do not include obesity. People often experience comorbidity between an eating disorder and OCD. It is estimated 20–60% of patients with an ED have a history of OCD.
Bulimia nervosa,also known as simply bulimia,is an eating disorder characterized by binge eating followed by purging or fasting,and excessive concern with body shape and weight. This activity aims to expel the body of calories eaten from the binging phase of the process. Binge eating refers to eating a large amount of food in a short amount of time. Purging refers to the attempts to get rid of the food consumed. This may be done by vomiting or taking laxatives.
Promotion of anorexia is the promotion of behaviors related to the eating disorder anorexia nervosa. It is often referred to simply as pro-ana or ana. The lesser-used term pro-mia refers likewise to bulimia nervosa and is sometimes used interchangeably with pro-ana. Pro-ana groups differ widely in their stances. Most claim that they exist mainly as a non-judgmental environment for anorexics;a place to turn to,to discuss their illness,and to support those who choose to enter recovery. Others deny anorexia nervosa is a mental illness and claim instead that it is a lifestyle choice that should be respected by doctors and family.
Binge eating disorder (BED) is an eating disorder characterized by frequent and recurrent binge eating episodes with associated negative psychological and social problems,but without the compensatory behaviors common to bulimia nervosa,OSFED,or the binge-purge subtype of anorexia nervosa.
Binge eating is a pattern of disordered eating which consists of episodes of uncontrollable eating. It is a common symptom of eating disorders such as binge eating disorder and bulimia nervosa. During such binges,a person rapidly consumes an excessive quantity of food. A diagnosis of binge eating is associated with feelings of loss of control. Binge eating disorder is also linked with being overweight and obesity.
Disordered eating describes a variety of abnormal eating behaviors that,by themselves,do not warrant diagnosis of an eating disorder.
Childhood obesity is a condition where excess body fat negatively affects a child's health or well-being. As methods to determine body fat directly are difficult,the diagnosis of obesity is often based on BMI. Due to the rising prevalence of obesity in children and its many adverse health effects it is being recognized as a serious public health concern. The term 'overweight' rather than 'obese' is often used when discussing childhood obesity,as it is less stigmatizing,although the term 'overweight' can also refer to a different BMI category. The prevalence of childhood obesity is known to differ by sex and gender.
Avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID) is a feeding or eating disorder in which people avoid eating certain foods,or restrict their diets to the point it ultimately results in nutritional deficiencies. This can be due to the sensory characteristics of food,such as its appearance,smell,texture,or taste,and/or due to fear of negative consequences such as choking or vomiting;and/or having little interest in eating or food. People with ARFID may also be afraid of trying new foods,a fear known as food neophobia.
Diabulimia,also known as ED-DMT1 in the US or T1ED in the UK,is an eating disorder in which people with type 1 diabetes deliberately give themselves less insulin than they need or stop taking it altogether for the purpose of weight loss. Diabulimia is not recognized as a formal psychiatric diagnosis in the DSM-5. Because of this,some in the medical or psychiatric communities use the phrases "disturbed eating behavior" or "disordered eating behavior" and disordered eating (DE) are quite common in medical and psychiatric literature addressing patients who have type 1 diabetes and manipulate insulin doses to control weight along with exhibiting bulimic behavior.
Anorexia nervosa (AN),often referred to simply as anorexia,is an eating disorder characterized by low weight,food restriction,body image disturbance,fear of gaining weight,and an overpowering desire to be thin.
The Center on Media and Child Health (CMCH) is a non-profit organization based at Boston Children's Hospital. CMCH was founded in 2002,by pediatrician Michael Rich,Associate Professor of Pediatrics at Harvard Medical School;and Associate Professor of Society,Human Development,and Health at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.
Research into food choice investigates how people select the food they eat. An interdisciplinary topic,food choice comprises psychological and sociological aspects,economic issues and sensory aspects.
The term "Freshman 15" is an expression commonly used in the United States and Canada that refers to an amount of weight gained during a student's first year at college. In Australia and New Zealand,it is sometimes referred to as "First Year Fatties","Fresher Spread",or "Fresher Five",the latter referring to a five-kilogram gain.
Social stigma of obesity is broadly defined as bias or discriminatory behaviors targeted at overweight and obese individuals because of their weight and a high body fat percentage. Such social stigmas can span one's entire life,as long as excess weight is present,starting from a young age and lasting into adulthood. Studies also indicate overweight and obese individuals experience higher levels of stigma compared to other people.
Other specified feeding or eating disorder (OSFED) is a subclinical DSM-5 category that,along with unspecified feeding or eating disorder (UFED),replaces the category formerly called eating disorder not otherwise specified (EDNOS) in the DSM-IV-TR. It captures feeding disorders and eating disorders of clinical severity that do not meet diagnostic criteria for anorexia nervosa (AN),bulimia nervosa (BN),binge eating disorder (BED),avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID),pica,or rumination disorder. OSFED includes five examples:
Mary Story is Professor of Global Health and Community and Family Medicine,and associate director of Education and Training,Duke Global Health Institute at Duke University. Dr. Story is a leading scholar on child and adolescent nutrition and child obesity prevention.
Nancy Eisenberg is a psychologist and professor at Arizona State University. She was the President of the Western Psychological Association in 2014-2015 and the Division 7 president of the American Psychological Association in 2010-2012. Her research focuses on areas of emotional and social development of children. She is also in charge of a research lab at Arizona State University where undergraduate researchers help in longitudinal studies of social and emotional development in children and young adolescents.
Grazing is a human eating pattern characterized as "the repetitive eating of small or modest amounts of food in an unplanned manner throughout a period of time,and not in response to hunger or satiety cues".
The social stigma of obesity,can be defined as the systemic oppression of and discrimination against people who may be considered overweight,obese,or fat. Fatphobia exists in many forms and presents itself in both institutional and interpersonal circumstances. According to numerous academics,fatphobia or general anti-fat bias is common and pervasive. Fatphobia negatively impacts the attitudes and behaviours of individuals towards those considered to be overweight or obese. Employment,relationships,and medical care are some facets of daily living that are all known to be negatively impacted by fat-phobic rhetoric or anti-fat assumptions. Fatphobia is produced and spread in many ways,including through advertising and popular media such as television shows. According to a number of scholars,television shows in North America both underrepresent and misrepresent fat people which (re)produces fatphobic rhetoric
Body image disturbance (BID) is a common symptom in patients with eating disorders and is characterized by an altered perception of one's own body.