Healthful Food Topic of Forum Sunday

3 to discuss overcoming diet obstacles

Choosing the best foods for a healthful diet can be difficult for Americans, given the policies and the politics of the U.S. food industry, says a trio of nutrition experts who will discuss this dilemma in a public forum Sunday.

Led by Dr. Andrew Weil – author, physician and founder of the integrative medicine movement based at the University of Arizona – the forum will explore the optimal diet for health and rejuvenation, the scientific use of dietary supplements, and the obstacles to good nutrition posed by the processed food industry.

“We want to give people powerful tips on how to change their diets in a direction that will improve their health, especially when faced with the reality of what foods are available in the U.S. today,” said Weil, founder and director of the UA’s program in integrative medicine, which combines mainstream medical science with alternative treatments.

Topics and speakers at the Sunday forum are:

* “Obesity, Diabetes and the Food Industry” – Dr. Walter Willett, professor of epidemiology, nutrition and medicine, Harvard School of Public Health.

Willett will focus on the role U.S. agriculture and food processing policies play in the growing obesity epidemic, especially among children. Along with Weil, Willett is a major advocate of the Mediterranean Diet, which both experts will explain in detail.

* “Micronutrients and the Role of Dietary Supplements” – Dr. Bruce Ames, professor of molecular and cell biology, University of California-Berkeley.

Ames, an expert on metabolism and aging, will discuss how dietary supplements can improve or worsen health, depending on how they are used. He is also expected to explain his controversial attack on organic foods, and his dismissal of damage caused by chemical and environmental toxins in our food.

“I find these positions very questionable, and I think we’ll see a lively discussion of the whole issue,” Weil said.

* “The Optimal Diet” – Weil. He will target changes made in U.S. Department of Agriculture food guidelines in the past year, which Weil says have improved somewhat, “but not nearly enough.”

After a 15-minute presentation by each speaker, the panel will discuss the issues, then hold a question-and-answer session with the audience.

IF YOU GO

What: “Nutrition and Health: Food, Politics and Society” public forum

When: Sunday 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Where: Westin La Paloma Resort & Spa, 3800 E. Sunrise Drive.

Tickets: $15 advance, $20 at the door. Tickets can be ordered online. For more information, or to place your order, visit www.integrativemedicine.arizona.edu or call 626-2468.

* Contact reporter Carla McClain at 806-7754 or at cmcclain@azstarnet.com.