News & Events
New qualification upgrade for practising Dietitians announced
Two pathways by which practising Dietitians can upgrade their qualification to Masters level are offered by Otago University. Download PDF and read more
Key findings of the 2008/09 New Zealand Adult Nutrition Survey
The report and survey questionnaire have been released on the Ministry of Health website
Food Cost Survey
The results of the annual food cost survey, undertaken on March 7, 2011 are now available.
Long-term weight loss maintenance strategies
Dr Kelly Dale in conjunction with Professor Jim Mann and Dr Rachael Taylor, has just published some of the results of her PhD research where she compared different long-term strategies to maintain weight loss. Women aged 25-70 years who has lost 5% or more of their initial body weight were followed-up for two years to compare the effectiveness of two support programmes (nutrition specialist vs nurse) and two diets (high carbohydrate vs high monounstaturated fat), and found both support programmes were equally effective.
For more information, go to the press release.
Download and read the press release.
The text “Comprehensive Handbook of Iodine: Nutritional, Biochemical, Pathological and Therapeutic Aspects” was published by Academic Press (Elsevier) in early 2009 and promoted as a “one-stop-shop” of information on iodine. The handbook contains 132 chapters written by over 200 scientists from around the world. Professor Christine Thomson and Dr Sheila Skeaff co-authored the chapter “Iodine Status and Deficiency Disorders in New Zealand”.
Dr Bernard Venn, Dr Lisa Houghton and Professor Murray Skeaff were among the recipients of a Laurenson Award in the latest funding round. Dr Venn will investigate whether folic acid accelerates cancer cell growth compared with natural folate. Dr Houghton and Professor Skeaff will determine if vitamin D2 and vitamin D3 have equivalent effects on vitamin D status.
Download and read the press release.
The 2008/09 New Zealand Adult Nutrition Survey is currently underway. The survey will provide information on food and nutrient intake, body measurements and blood test results in a representative sample of over 5000 adults aged 15 years and older. The Nutrition Director of the survey is Associate Professor Winsome Parnell who is located, along with other key staff, at the LINZ Nutrition and Activity Research Unit.
For more information about the Adult Nutrition Survey.
°The 2008 Bernice Kelly Award recipient is Sarah Fleming. The Bernice Kelly Award is an award made by the New Zealand Dietetic Association, and sponsored by Fonterra and the Dairy Companies Association of New Zealand, to recognise excellence in an emerging entry-level Dietitian.
°Louise Bee received the Nestle Healthcare Nutrition Top Academic Student award at the 2008 New Zealand Dietetic Association Conference.° The Nestle Young Achiever Award was presented to Sian Warriner.
NZDA President Julie Carter says Ms Warriner was presented the award for her dedication to mental health and Maori dietetics.
For more news and events about the Dietetics Programme and Dietitians visit this link.
° Prof Christine Thomson advocates that Kiwis eat one Brazil nut a day to boost their selenium intake - Otago Daily Times and Channel 9 News Dunedin, March 26, 2008. Read the full press release or download the February 2008 American Journal of Clinical Nutrition article co-authored with Dr Alex Chisholm.
° The history of our national dish is celebrated in Professor Helen Leach's new book The Pavlova Story: a Slice of New Zealand's Culinary History published by Otago University Press.
Upcoming Departmental Seminars of interest (held in HNG10 from 1:00-1:50 pm):
9 April: Dr Elizabeth Lind (IFR, Norwich) N-3 fatty acids and Gut Health
14 May: Assoc Professor Samir Samman (University of Sydney) Zinc Supplementation and CHD
Food Costs
The results of the annual food cost survey, undertaken on March 2, 2009 are now available.
Wanting to catch up with ex-Otago University friends?
Attend an Otago University Alumni Event in New Zealand or overseas.