2015 APHA Annual Meeting & Expo

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Recorded Annual Meeting Presentations (RAMP) are now available for purchase.
Only $90 for presenters, $140 for registered attendees and $200 for non-attendees.

Online Program

329236
Making Sense of the Science of Sodium


Tuesday, November 3, 2015 : 8:30 a.m. - 8:50 a.m.

Linda Van Horn, PhD, Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine (FSM), Chicago, IL
Audio (mp3) recording Recorded Presentation (mp4)
The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 required the US Department of Agriculture to revise the meal patterns and nutrition standards of the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs. Among the new standards was a requirement for sodium reduction. In accordance with the final rule, schools began reducing the average sodium content of meals in 2014. Gradual reductions will continue to occur over the next several years. As these standards are implemented, students should get closer to meeting the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, thereby lowering their risk of chronic disease. This presentation will review the strong science and public health rationale for reducing sodium in children’s diets and in school meals.

Learning Areas:

Public health or related laws, regulations, standards, or guidelines
Public health or related organizational policy, standards, or other guidelines

Learning Objectives:
Explain the scientific rationale for sodium reduction; and Demonstrate how sodium reduction efforts work synergistically with other dietary recommendations.

Keyword(s): Policy/Policy Development, Nutrition

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am a tenured Professor in the Department of Preventive Medicine and Associate Dean for Faculty Development in the Feinberg School of Medicine (FSM) at Northwestern University. I am also a registered dietitian. My work involves nutrition research, medical nutrition education and public health policy development. My research focuses on diet in the prevention and treatment of cardiometabolic and other chronic diseases with a special focus on women and children.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

Back to: 4037.0: School Day Just Got Healthier: Updates on School Meals and Smart Snacks