FNCE® Preview

Nutrition Conference Covers a Century of Food Science

By Heather Hogstrom

The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (the Academy) will hold its Food & Nutrition Conference & Expo™ (FNCE®) in Chicago from October 21–24. This year marks the Academy’s 100th anniversary, which will be recognized with a Centennial Celebration on Saturday evening, where attendees can mingle while enjoying cocktails and hors d’oeuvres. Offering more than 130 educational sessions, FNCE® features several sessions reflecting on the past 100 years and looking forward to the next century, such as “What Chicago in 1900 Can Teach Us About the Challenges of Science and Food Today,” “Informing the Future: Looking Back at 100 Years of Nutrition Research,” and “Preparing for the Second Century With a Stronger Focus on Public Health.”

The educational sessions cover a wide range of nutrition topics. Attendees can learn about specific nutrients in sessions such as “What’s New on the Label: Choline, The Forgotten Nutrient,” “Fiber’s Essentiality for the Microbiota and Health: Connecting the Dots,” and “Dietary Supplements: What You Need to Know and Why.” Sessions covering malnutrition include “Getting a Grip: Handgrip Strength Examination for Malnourished Populations” and “Going Green: Use of Medical Cannabis in Medical Nutrition Therapy,” while dysphagia will be targeted in “International Dysphagia Diet Standardisation Initiative (IDDSI): USA and Global Readiness.” Food accessibility and affordability as well as nutrition services such as Meals on Wheels will be discussed in “Food Accessibility/Affordability Links to Healthy Eating Patterns: Then and Now—Part 3” and “More Than a Meal: Demonstrating Value Through Outcomes Data.”

Those working with female patients may be interested in “The Women’s Health Initiative: Two Decades of Knowledge Ready for Dissemination” and “PCOS: Beyond Hormones and Hot Flashes—Nutrition Interventions for Women Later in Life.” Sessions offering a focus on heart failure are “Evidence-Based Heart Failure Nutrition Therapy Practice Guidelines: Effectiveness and Recommendations” and “Heart Failure, Nitrites and Nitrates: Novel Paradigm, Novel Treatment.” For a unique perspective on aging, “New Horizons: Linking Space Station Research to Healthy Aging” will compare the musculoskeletal changes and energy utilization of astronauts with older adults who are sedentary, on bed rest, or living in long term care facilities.

FNCE® will feature hundreds of exhibitors, enabling attendees to sample new products, discover emerging nutrition trends, and become informed on the latest technologies, tools, and services. The Expo will include pavilions for technology, natural and organic items, products to improve gut health, and solutions for wellness and disease prevention.

For on-the-go conference information, attendees can download the FNCE® app in the Apple App Store or Google Play Store. For more information or to register, visit http://eatrightfnce.org.

— Heather Hogstrom is an editorial assistant at Today’s Geriatric Medicine.