Relationships Among Nutrition, Genes and Fitting into Jeans Topic of Annual CSU Nutrition Conference
Note to Reporters: Media representatives are invited to attend the annual Lillian Fountain Smith Conference. To arrange interviews or attendance, contact Dell Rae Moellenberg at (970) 491-6009 or e-mail DellRae.Moellenberg@colostate.edu.
Colorado State University’s Lillian Fountain Smith Conference is slated from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Thursday, June 10, and from 7:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., Friday, June 11, at the Marriott Hotel, 350 E. Horsetooth Road.
The annual conference, which is in its 32nd year, will focus on providing nutrition educators with information on “Nutrigenomics: Nutrition Can Help You Fit into Your Genes.” Nutrigenomics is the study of how each person’s unique genetics interact with the nutrients they consume to influence their health. Other session topics will include information on food allergies and functional foods.
Thursday’s sessions will discuss how diet and genetics can impact childhood and adult allergies, functional foods – or foods credited with having health-promoting or disease-fighting properties beyond basic ingredients – and superfruits, or fruit with exceptional nutritional value or antioxidants.
Friday’s sessions will focus on nutrigenomics basics, genetic risk and the complexities of genes, exercise and body weight regulation.
The conference is sponsored each year by the Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, which is part of the College of Applied Human Sciences. The conference is funded by the Lillian Fountain Smith Trust which honors Lillian Fountain Smith, a 1918 graduate in home economics at Colorado State University (then called Colorado A & M). Recognizing the importance of nutrition in her own life and the lives of her family members, Smith assisted the department in improving and extending its nutrition outreach and education activities.
The conference provides participants with the most current, objective and authoritative information available in selected areas of human nutrition. The speakers are invited to participate in the conference based on nationally recognized contributions to nutrition research or practice.
To register, visit http://www.fshn.cahs.colostate.edu/lfs/. For registration questions, call (970) 491-7334. Attendees can obtain 10 Continuing Professional Education Units.
The schedule of sessions:
Thursday, June 10
7:45 a.m. registration and check in – Fort Collins Marriott Hotel, Salons A-H
8: 30 a.m. conference opening, Pat Kendall, associate dean for Research for CSU’s College of Applied Human Sciences
Session 1 – Treating Childhood Food Allergies
8:45 a.m. – “Demystifying and Treating Childhood Food Allergy,” Dr. F. Dan Atkins, National Jewish Health, Department of Pediatrics, Denver.
9:45 a.m. break
10 a.m. – "The Diet: Managing in the Complex World of Food Allergies," Emily McCloud, clinical dietitian, National Jewish Health, Department of Pediatrics, Denver
11 a.m. panel discussion
Noon – lunch
Session 2 – Functional Foods
1:15 p.m. “From Chocolate to Wine: How Indulgent Functional Foods can Deliver Health Promoting Phytochemicals,” Mario Ferruzzi, associate professor, Department of Food Sciences, Purdue University
2:15 p.m. break
2:30 p.m. “Chasing the Market: What’s So Super About Superfruits?” Steven Talcott, associate professor of food chemistry, Nutrition and Food Science, Texas A & M University
3:30 p.m. panel discussion
4:30 p.m. adjourn
Friday, June 11
7:30 a.m. registration and check in
Session 3 – Unraveling the Mystery of Nutrigenomics
8 a.m. – “Our Future in Nutrigenomics: ADA House of Delegates Report on the Role of the Dietitian in Nutritional Genetics,” Mary Harris, professor, Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, CSU
8:15 a.m. “Nutrigenomics 101,” Erica Daniell, instructor, Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, CSU
9:15 a.m. break
9:30 a.m. “Gene and Protein Targets of Dietary Interventions in the Control of Breast Cancer,” Henry Thompson, professor, Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture, director, Cancer Prevention Laboratory, CSU
10 a.m. brunch
11:30 a.m. “Complexities of Body Weight Regulation – Genes, Jeans and Gyms,” Chris Melby, professor and department head, Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, CSU
12:30 p.m. panel discussion
1:30 p.m. adjourn
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