Marion Nestle

Last updated
Marion Nestle
Nestle Credit-Bill-Hayes-281x300.jpg
Born (1936-09-10) September 10, 1936 (age 87)
New York [1]
CitizenshipAmerican
Alma mater University of California, Berkeley
Known for Public health advocacy, opposition to unhealthy foods, promotion of food studies as an academic field
Scientific career
Institutions New York University
Thesis Purification and properties of a nuclease from Serratia marcescens  (1968)
External media
Audio
Nuvola apps arts.svg “EPISODE 19: Introduction to Food Politics with Marion Nestle”, The Green Life, 2022.
Video
Nuvola apps kaboodle.svg Food politics: Who makes our food choices? Marion Nestle at the Nobel Week Dialogue 2016, December 15, 2016
Nuvola apps kaboodle.svg Marion Nestle: Let's Ask Marion What You Need to Know about the Politics of Food, Town Hall Seattle, October 30, 2020
Nuvola apps kaboodle.svg Food Thinkers: Marion Nestle, Centre for Food Policy, March 23, 2022

Marion Nestle (born 1936) is an American molecular biologist, nutritionist, and public health advocate. She is the Paulette Goddard Professor of Nutrition, Food Studies, and Public Health Emerita at New York University. [2] [3] Her research examines scientific and socioeconomic influences on food choice, obesity, and food safety, emphasizing the role of food marketing. [4] [5]

Contents

Through her work at NYU and her award-winning books, Nestle has had a national influence on food policy, nutrition, and food education. [6] Nestle became a Fellow of the American Society for Nutritional Sciences in 2005. [7] In 2019 she received the Food Policy Changemaker Award, as a "leader who is working to transform the food system". [8]

Nestle's name is pronounced like the English verb "nestle", [9] not like the name of the Swiss food conglomerate, to which she is unrelated. In 2022, the University of California Press published Slow Cooked: An Unexpected Life in Food Politics, a memoir. [10]

Education

Nestle received her BA in bacteriology from UC Berkeley, Phi Beta Kappa (1959). Her degrees include a Ph.D. in molecular biology (1968) and an M.P.H. in public health nutrition (1986), both from the University of California, Berkeley. [3] [11]

Nestle has listed Wendell Berry, Frances Moore Lappé, Joan Gussow, and Michael Jacobson as people who inspired her. [12]

Career

Nestle undertook postdoctoral research in biochemistry and developmental biology at Brandeis University, joining the faculty in biology in 1975. [6] Being assigned to teach a nutrition course stimulated her interest in food and nutrition and using them to teach critical thinking in biology. She describes the experience as like “falling in love". [13] [6]

From 1976 to 1986, Nestle was associate dean for human biology at the School of Medicine of the University of California, San Francisco. [14] She lectured in biochemistry, biophysics, and medicine [11] and developed a teaching program for medical students in nutrition. [7]

In 1986 Nestle became staff director for nutrition policy in the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion for the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). From 1986 to 1988, she was senior nutrition policy advisor at HHS. She was editor of the Surgeon General's Report on Nutrition and Health (1988) [14] and contributed to a report from the Food and Nutrition Board: Diet and Health: Implications for Reducing Chronic Disease Risk (1989). These reports set out the scientific background for the 1990 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. [7]

In 1988, Nestle was appointed of Home Economics and Nutrition (now Nutrition and Food Studies) in the Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development Studies at New York University, holding the position of Chair from 1988-2003. She accepted the Paulette Goddard Professorship in 2004, and became Professor Emerita in 2017. [15] [16] She has also been a Visiting Professor of Nutritional Sciences at Cornell University. [11] In 1996 Nestle founded the food studies program at New York University with food consultant Clark Wolf. Nestle hoped to raise public awareness of food and its role in culture, society, and personal nutrition. In this, she not only succeeded but also inspired other universities to launch their own programs. [6]

Nestle is the author of numerous articles in professional publications and has won awards for a number of her books. Food Politics: How the Food Industry Influences Nutrition and Health was first published in 2002, winning a James Beard Literary Award, an Association of American Publishers Award for Public Health, and a Harry Chapin Media Award for Best Book. [17] [18] [19] Safe Food (2003) won the Daniel E. Griffiths Research Award from the Steinhardt School of Education in 2004. [20] In 2007 What to Eat won the James Beard Foundation Award for best food reference book [21] and the National Multiple Sclerosis Society's Better Life Award. [22] In 2012, Why Calories Count: From Science to Politics (co-authored with Dr. Malden Nesheim) won a book of the year award from the International Association of Culinary Professionals (IACP). [23] Eat, Drink Vote: An Illustrated Guide to Food Politics won an IACP award in 2014. [24] Soda Politics: Taking on Big Soda (and Winning) won the 2016 James Beard Foundation Award for Writing and Literature [25] and the Jane Grigson Award for distinguished scholarship from the International Association of Culinary Professionals. [26]

Nestle wrote the "Food Matters" column for the San Francisco Chronicle from 2008 to 2013. She blogs at foodpolitics.com, and tweets from @marionnestle. [27] She has appeared in the documentary films Super Size Me (2004), Food, Inc. (2008), Food Fight: The Inside Story of the Food Industry (2008), Killer at Large (2008), In Organic We Trust (2012), A Place at the Table (2012), [28] Fed Up (2014), [29] In Defense of Food (2015), [30] and Super Size Me 2: Holy Chicken! (2017). [31]

Nestle received the American Public Health Association's Food and Nutrition Section Award for Excellence in Dietary Guidance in 1994 and was named Nutrition Educator of the Year by Eating Well magazine in 1997. [3]

Nestle received the John Dewey Award for Distinguished Public Service from Bard College in 2010 [32] and in 2011 was named a Public Health Hero by the University of California School of Public Health at Berkeley. [33] In 2011, Forbes magazine listed Nestle as number 2 of "The world's 7 most powerful foodies." [34] [35] She received an honorary Doctor of Science degree from Transylvania University in Kentucky in 2012. [36] In 2013, she received the James Beard Leadership Award [37] and Healthful Food Council's Innovator of the Year Award and the Public Health Association of New York City's Media Award in 2014. [16] In 2016, Nestle was awarded an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree from Macaulay Honors College, City University of New York. [38]

In 2018 Nestle was honored with a Trailblazer Award from the International Association of Culinary Professionals (IACP). [39] She also received the Grand Dame Award of Les Dames d’Escoffier International [2] and was appointed to Heritage Food Radio’s Hall of Fame. [40] In 2019 she became the inaugural recipient of the Food Policy Changemaker Award, given by the Hunter College NYC Food Policy Center. [8]

Nestle visited the Edinburgh Science Festival in 2023 to receive the Edinburgh Medal, which is awarded each year to those who make a significant contribution to the understanding and well-being of humanity through science and technology. [41]

Works

Nestle has published at least 15 books and numerous articles. [16] Her books include:

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fruitarianism</span> Choosing to eat primarily fruits

Fruitarianism is a diet that consists primarily of consuming fruits and possibly nuts and seeds, but without any animal products. Fruitarian diets are subject to criticism and health concerns.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alice Waters</span> American chef, restaurateur, and author

Alice Louise Waters is an American chef, restaurateur, and author. In 1971, she opened Chez Panisse, a restaurant in Berkeley, California, famous for its role in creating the farm-to-table movement and for pioneering California cuisine.

The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) is a Washington, D.C.-based non-profit watchdog and consumer advocacy group that advocates for safer and healthier foods.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michael Pollan</span> American author and journalist (born 1955)

Michael Kevin Pollan is an American author and journalist, who is currently Professor of the Practice of Non-Fiction and the first Lewis K. Chan Arts Lecturer at Harvard University. Concurrently, he is the Knight Professor of Science and Environmental Journalism and the director of the Knight Program in Science and Environmental Journalism at the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism where in 2020 he cofounded the UC Berkeley Center for the Science of Psychedelics, in which he leads the public-education program. Pollan is best known for his books that explore the socio-cultural impacts of food, such as The Botany of Desire and The Omnivore's Dilemma.

The New York UniversitySteinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development is the school of education of New York University. The school was founded as the School of Pedagogy in 1890. Prior to 2001, it was known as the NYU School of Education.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Food group</span> Collection of foods that share similar nutritional properties or biological classifications

A food group is a collection of foods that share similar nutritional properties or biological classifications. Lists of nutrition guides typically divide foods into food groups, and Recommended Dietary Allowance recommends daily servings of each group for a healthy diet. In the United States for instance, the USDA has described food as being in from 4 to 11 different groups.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kelly D. Brownell</span>

Kelly David Brownell is a clinical psychologist and scholar of public health and public policy at Duke University whose work focuses on obesity and food policy. He is a former dean of Duke's Sanford School of Public Policy. Noted for his research dealing primarily with obesity prevention, as well as the intersection of behavior, environment, and health with public policy, Brownell advised former First Lady Michelle Obama's initiatives to address childhood obesity and has testified before Congress. He is credited with coining the term "yo-yo dieting", and was named as one of "The World's 100 Most Influential People" by Time Magazine in 2006.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Betty Fussell</span> American writer (born 1927)

Betty Ellen Fussell is an American writer and is the author of 12 books, ranging from biography to cookbooks, food history and memoir. Over the last 50 years, her essays on food, travel and the arts have appeared in scholarly journals, popular magazines and newspapers as varied as The New York Times, The New Yorker, Los Angeles Times, Saveur, Vogue, Food & Wine, Metropolitan Home and Gastronomica. Her memoir, My Kitchen Wars, was performed in Hollywood and New York as a one-woman show by actress Dorothy Lyman. Her most recent book is Eat Live Love Die, and she is now working on How to Cook a Coyote: A Manual of Survival.

The Jane Grigson Award is an award issued by the International Association of Culinary Professionals (IACP). It honours distinguished scholarship and depth of research in cookbooks and is named in honour of the British cookery writer Jane Grigson.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ellie Krieger</span>

Ellie Krieger is an American registered dietitian and nutritionist. She is the host of Healthy Appetite with Ellie Krieger on Food Network, and Ellie's Real Good Food on PBS. She is also an author and has written several books on healthy eating.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">American Society for Nutrition</span> American society for professional researchers and practitioners in the field of nutrition

The American Society for Nutrition (ASN) is an American society for professional researchers and practitioners in the field of nutrition. ASN publishes four journals in the field of nutrition. It has been criticized for its financial ties to the food and beverage industry.

The U.S. Senate Agriculture Subcommittee on Food and Nutrition, Specialty Crops, Organics, and Research is one of five subcommittees of the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">MyPyramid</span> Nutrition guide

MyPyramid, released by the USDA Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion on April 19, 2005, was an update on the earlier American food guide pyramid. It was used until June 2, 2011, when the USDA's MyPlate replaced it. The icon stresses activity and moderation along with a proper mix of food groups in one's diet. As part of the MyPyramid food guidance system, consumers were asked to visit the MyPyramid website for personalized nutrition information. Significant changes from the previous food pyramid include:

The history of USDA nutrition guidelines includes over 100 years of nutrition advice promulgated by the USDA. The guidelines have been updated over time, to adopt new scientific findings and new public health marketing techniques. The current guidelines are the Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2015–2020 and have been criticized as not accurately representing scientific information about optimal nutrition, and as being overly influenced by the agricultural industries the USDA promotes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Danielle Nierenberg</span> American activist, author, and journalist

Danielle J. Nierenberg is an American activist, author and journalist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michele Simon</span>

Michele Simon is a public health lawyer who has been researching and writing about food policy since 1996. Her work has been featured on CNBC, CBS News, The New York Times, San Francisco Chronicle, Chicago Tribune, Reuters, and Forbes. She has written extensively on the politics of food, and her book, Appetite for Profit: How the Food Industry Undermines Our Health and How to Fight Back, was published by Nation Books in 2006. Simon has also written extensively about alcohol policy.

Amy Bentley is Professor of Food Studies in the Department of Nutrition and Food Studies at New York University's Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development, and is co-founder of the NYU Urban Farm Lab and the Experimental Cuisine Collective.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nina Teicholz</span> American journalist

Nina Teicholz is a journalist who advocates for reducing restrictions on naturally-occurring fats, including saturated fats, in the American diet.

Fabio Parasecoli is an Italian academic and author, whose work focusses on the intersectionality of food, media and politics. He is currently a Food Studies professor at NYU Steinhardt.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lisa R. Young</span> American nutritionist and academic

Lisa R. Young is an American registered dietitian nutritionist and author. Her published books include The Portion Teller, The Portion Teller Plan, and Finally Full, Finally Slim and has also published academic articles on the contribution of US portion sizes to the obesity epidemic. She also appeared in the documentary movie Super Size Me.

References

  1. Dangalan, Claire (2015-07-12). "Marion Nestle: Food Scientist Extraordinaire". Ananke. Retrieved 2021-09-12.
  2. 1 2 "Marion Nestle Earns LDEI Grand Dame Award". Les Dames d'Escoffier Chicago. 12 June 2018. Retrieved 22 November 2022.
  3. 1 2 3 "Nestle, Marion 1936-". www.encyclopedia.com. Retrieved 22 November 2022.
  4. "Interview: Marion Nestle". PBS Frontline. December 10, 2003.
  5. Reiss, Sami (13 October 2022). "How Marion Nestle Changed the Way We Talk About Food". GQ. Retrieved 28 November 2022.
  6. 1 2 3 4 Turow, Eve (20 June 2013). "Marion Nestle on Her History With Food Studies and the Future of Food Politics". Village Voice. Retrieved 2015-11-17.
  7. 1 2 3 "PROCEEDINGS OF THE SIXTY-NINTH ANNUAL MEETING OF THE AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR NUTRITIONAL SCIENCES San Diego, CA April 1–5, 2005". The Journal of Nutrition. 135 (9): 2274–2289. 1 September 2005. doi: 10.1093/jn/135.9.2274 . Retrieved 22 November 2022.
  8. 1 2 Appel, Deirdre (14 June 2019). "Food Policy Changemaker Award: Dr. Marion Nestle - Hunter College". NYC Food Policy Center (Hunter College). Retrieved 22 November 2022.
  9. "Food Politics". BookBrowse. Retrieved December 14, 2014.
  10. 1 2 "Professor of Food Studies Marion Nestle Publishes Memoir | NYU Steinhardt". steinhardt.nyu.edu. October 27, 2022. Retrieved 22 November 2022.
  11. 1 2 3 "Marion Nestle - Nobel Conference 46 | Nobel Conference - 2010". Gustavus Adolphus College. October 6, 2010. Retrieved 22 November 2022.
  12. Marshall, Kate (2013). "Ten Years of Food Politics: An Interview with Marion Nestle". Gastronomica. 13 (3): 1–3. doi:10.1525/gfc.2013.13.3.1.
  13. "Interview with Marion Nestle". American Society for Nutrition. 1 August 2017. Retrieved 28 November 2022.
  14. 1 2 "Marion Nestle, PhD, MPH". WebMD. Retrieved 22 November 2022.
  15. "Marion Nestle | Big Think". Big Think. Retrieved 2015-11-17.
  16. 1 2 3 "Marion Nestle". NYU Steinhardt. Retrieved 22 November 2022.
  17. "NYU's Nestle, Author of Award-Winning "Food Politics," Available for Comment On Nutrition and Food Industry". NYU. Retrieved 22 November 2022.
  18. Namie, Joylin (19 September 2011). "Review: Food Politics". FoodAnthropology. Retrieved 22 November 2022.
  19. "Book awards: Harry Chapin Media Award | LibraryThing". LibraryThing. Retrieved 22 November 2022.
  20. "Marion Nestle Papers, 1970-2017 MSS.159". Fales Library & Special Collections. Retrieved 22 November 2022.
  21. "Awards Search". James Beard Foundation. Retrieved 22 November 2022.
  22. Gardner, Jan (March 2, 2007). "Prize season". Boston.com. Retrieved 22 November 2022.
  23. "Marion Nestle: Discusses the Goal of Large Corporate Food Companies". Dr. McDougall Health & Medical Center. June 17, 2015. Retrieved 22 November 2022.
  24. Forbes, Paula (15 March 2014). "IACP Announces 2014 Food Writing Award Winners". Eater. Retrieved 22 November 2022.
  25. "WINNERS ANNOUNCED FOR THE 2016 JAMES BEARD FOUNDATION BOOK, BROADCAST & JOURNALISM AWARDS NEW YORK, NY" (PDF). James Beard Foundation. April 26, 2016. Retrieved 22 November 2022.
  26. "Soda Politics: Taking On Big Soda (And Winning)". Real Food Media.
  27. "About Marion Nestle". foodpolitics.com. 2008-11-26. Retrieved March 29, 2011.
  28. IMDB entry
  29. Rosenberg, Martha (May 22, 2014). "Why Is the U.S. So Fat? Katie Couric Documentary Fed Up Seeks to Explain". Huffington Post. Retrieved May 25, 2014.
  30. "In Defense of Food: Transcript". PBS .
  31. Spurlock, Morgan (director) (September 6, 2019). Super Size Me 2: Holy Chicken! (Film Documentary). Archived from the original on 2021-12-19. Retrieved August 8, 2021.
  32. "Bard College Catalogue at Bard College". Bard College. Retrieved 22 November 2022.
  33. Devitt, James. "Nestle Recognized as Public Health Hero for Leadership in Nutrition Policy and Combating Obesity". New York University. Retrieved 22 November 2022.
  34. Pollan, Michael (November 2, 2011). "The World's 7 Most Powerful Foodies". Forbes. Archived from the original on November 9, 2011. Retrieved December 14, 2014.
  35. Brion, Raphael (7 November 2011). "Michael Pollan Lists the World's 'Most Powerful Foodies'". Eater. Retrieved 22 November 2022.
  36. "Expert nutritionist Marion Nestle receives honorary degree from Transylvania University - Transylvania University - 1780". 1780 | the Official Blog of Transylvania University. 23 October 2012. Retrieved 22 November 2022.
  37. Hoffman, Anya (October 23, 2013). "2013 JBF Leadership Award Winner Marion Nestle | James Beard Foundation". James Beard Foundation. Retrieved 22 November 2022.
  38. "Food Studies Scholar and Consumer Advocate Marion Nestle Is Macaulay Commencement Speaker". CUNY Newswire. April 18, 2016. Retrieved 28 November 2022.
  39. Spiegel, Alison (February 25, 2018). "The 2018 IACP Award-Winners". Food & Wine. Retrieved 22 November 2022.
  40. "Marion Nestle | Heritage Radio Network". Heritage Radio Network. Retrieved 22 November 2022.
  41. "Edinburgh Medal - Edinburgh Science". Edinburgh Science. Retrieved 2023-06-13.
  42. Nestle, Marion (1 September 1988). "The surgeon general's report on nutrition and health: New federal dietary guidance policy" . Journal of Nutrition Education. 20 (5): 252–254. doi:10.1016/S0022-3182(88)80067-0. ISSN   0022-3182.
  43. McGinnis, J M; Nestle, M (1 January 1989). "The Surgeon General's Report on Nutrition and Health: policy implications and implementation strategies" (PDF). The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 49 (1): 23–28. doi:10.1093/ajcn/49.1.23. PMID   2912006.
  44. O’Doherty Jensen, Katherine (15 March 2004). "Safe Food: Bacteria, biotechnology, and bioterrorism". Journal of Clinical Investigation. 113 (6): 787. doi:10.1172/JCI21319. ISSN   0021-9738. PMC   362128 .
  45. Schoch-Spana, Monica (2006). "Review of Safe Food: Bacteria, Biotechnology, and Bioterrorism". Agricultural History. 80 (4): 470–472. ISSN   0002-1482. JSTOR   4617780 . Retrieved 22 November 2022.
  46. "WHY CALORIES COUNT | Kirkus Reviews". Kirkus Reviews. April 1, 2012. Retrieved 22 November 2022.
  47. Abrams, Frances E. (November 1, 2018). "Unsavory Truth: How Food Companies Skew the Science of What We Eat". new york journal of books. Retrieved 22 November 2022.