Newswise — Registered dietitian Rebecca S. Reeves, an expert in the prevention and treatment of obesity and heart disease, will begin her one-year term June 1 as the 2005-06 president of the American Dietetic Association.
Reeves is assistant professor of medicine and managing director of the Behavioral Medicine Research Center at the Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas. She will be the 80th president of the American Dietetic Association, the nation's largest organization of food and nutrition professionals. Reeves has served as ADA's president-elect since June 2004.
At Baylor, Reeves is project director for nutrition intervention studies focused on heart disease and the behavioral treatment of obesity, including "Look AHEAD," an 11-year study of the role of sustained weight loss among overweight people with Type-2 diabetes in reducing cardiovascular problems. Reeves's recent research has focused on weight-loss treatments for Mexican-American and African-American women, binge eating and alternative treatments for obesity.
Reeves has also worked as a public health nutritionist at the Houston Department of Health and Human Services and as a clinical dietitian at Memorial-Herman Hospital in Houston.
"The obesity epidemic, among both adults and children, is the most urgent health issue facing our country," Reeves said, noting that at least four of the 10 leading causes of death in the United States are related to obesity: coronary heart disease, Type-2 diabetes, stroke and several types of cancer.
"The American Dietetic Association and all dietetics professionals accept the challenge of addressing the causes and effects of the obesity epidemic as part of our goal of improving and safeguarding the nutritional health of all people," Reeves said.
"We will take a leadership role, in the coming year and beyond, in helping consumers translate the science-based recommendations of the 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans into practical advice for eating healthy while enjoying their favorite foods," Reeves said.
"And we will continue to work closely with state and federal legislators and policy makers to enable even more people to benefit from potentially lifesaving medical nutrition therapy, provided by registered dietitians, for conditions like obesity, hypertension, cancer and HIV/AIDS," Reeves said.
Reeves has served in many leadership roles at the American Dietetic Association, including speaker of the House of Delegates; chair of the Obesity Task Force; past president of the Texas and South Texas (now Houston Area) dietetic associations and faculty member in ADA's Adult Weight Management training certificate program. She was a founder of ADA's Weight Management dietetic practice group and received ADA's 2001 Medallion Award for outstanding service to the Association and to the dietetics profession.
Reeves was named the Texas Distinguished Scientist in 2000 and Distinguished Dietitian in 1994. She is a graduate of Baldwin " Wallace College and the University of Texas. Reeves earned both a master's degree and a doctorate in public health from the University of Texas.
With nearly 65,000 members, the Chicago-based American Dietetic Association serves the public by promoting optimal health and well-being for all people. Visit ADA at http://www.eatright.org.
RSS