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International Course on Maternal and Child Nutrition
In 1987 the annual International Course in Food Science and Nutrition, to be held in Wageningen, Netherlands, will focus on the theme: "Maternal and Child Nutrition: The Prevention of the Main Nutritional Disorders in the World."
The course will be directed towards the alleviation of the nutrition and health problems of pregnant and lactating mothers and young children, as they are the most vulnerable groups in many developing countries.
The programme is designed to be of particular relevance to those who are responsible for or involved in the planning and implementation of programmes dealing with mother and child nutrition and health.
Requirements for admission:
- Academic degree (B.Sc. as a minimum), or its equivalent in nutrition, food technology, home economics, medicine, or a related field of study.
- Professional position with tasks related to the theme of the course and through which dissemination of the acquired knowledge is possible and can be expected.
- Some years of practical experience related to the theme of the course.
- Fluency in the English language.
Course period: 4 January to 6 June 1987.
Venue: International Agricultural Centre, Wageningen, Netherlands.
Fellowships: The Netherlands Government has a number of fellowships available for this course. The Netherlands diplomatic representative can inform prospective candidates about the procedure for a fellowship application
Language: This course will be conducted in English.
Application: For further information and for application forms, contact the Netherlands Embassy in your country or write to the course secretariat at the address below. The closing date for applications for the course as well as for a fellowship from the Netherlands Government is 30 August 1986.
Address: International Course in Food Science and Nutrition, Lawickse Allee 11, 6701 AN Wageningen, Netherlands. Tel.: 08370-19040.
International Course in Food Science and Nutrition
A third training course on "Food and Nutrition in PHC: Management, Administration and Evaluation" will be organized in Wageningen in autumn 1986.
The course is designed primarily for programme officers responsible for the implementation of food and nutrition projects at the intermediate, provincial level.
The focus of the training will be on improving the awareness, understanding, knowledge, and skills of participants in completing their day-to-day activities as regards programming, data management, control and direction of money and materials, supervision and motivation of personnel, allocation of time, reporting, etc. The general aim will be to improve the skills of participants in completing their duties within the constraints and opportunities of their own geographic and socio-economic situation.
The course is a training activity of the International Course in Food Science and Nutrition, planned and implemented together with the following international faculty:
- Dr. J. G. A. J. Hautvast, Professor of Human Nutrition, Agricultural University, Wageningen, Netherlands
- Dr. T. N. Maletnlema, Managing Director, Tanzania Food and Nutrition Centre, Dar es Salaam, United Republic of Tanzania
- Dr. M. Gebre-Medhin, Associate Professor of Paediatrics, University of Uppsala, Uppsala, Sweden
- Dr. A. A. Kampfraath, Professor of Management Studies, Agricultural University, Wageningen, Netherlands
- Dr. M. Gurney, Senior Programme Officer, Nutrition Unit, World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland
Course period: 29 October to 9 December 1986.
Venue: International Agricultural Centre, Wageningen, Netherlands.
Language: The course will be conducted in English
Course fee: The total course fee is f.7,500, which includes tuition fee, full board and lodging, insurance premium, book allowance, and pocket-money. It does not include expenses for travelling to and from the course location. Some fellowships may be available for eligible developing country scientists.
Application: Application forms can be obtained from the secretariat at the address below. Closing date for application: 15 September 1986.
Address: International Course in Food Science and Nutrition (ICFSN), c/o international Agricultural Centre, Lawickse Allee 11, 6701 AN Wageningen, Netherlands. Tel.: 08370-19040, ext. 241; telex: 45888 intas nl.
INFOODS/UNU Training Programme
The Department of Human Nutrition at the Agricultural University of Wageningen, Netherlands (Director: Prof. Dr. J. Hautvast) and at the Nutrition and Food Quality Division of the ARC Food Research Institute at Norwich, UK (Head: Dr. D. Southgate), are involved in training in food analysis and work on food composition tables. The next training programme will be given in the period September 1986 to March 1987.
For information, write to: Prof. Dr. J. Hautvast, Department of Human Nutrition, Agricultural University, De Dreijen 12, 6703 BC Wageningen, Netherlands.
A limited number of fellowships will be granted in this field to meet institutional needs. Institutional requests for staff training should be addressed to: Dr. Abraham Besrat, Training and Fellowships Officer, The United Nations University, 15-1 Shibuya 2-chome, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 150, Japan.
Announcement and Call for Abstracts
The 5th International Congress of the World Federation of Public Health Associations, whose theme will be "International Health in an Era of Economic Constraint: The Challenge," will be held in Mexico City, Mexico, from 22 to 27 March 1981. Abstracts covering the following sub-themes are being sought:
Abstracts may be submitted in English or Spanish. Request abstract forms and guidelines from: WFPHA Secretariat, c/o American Public Health Association, 1015 15th Street, NW, Washington, DC 20005, USA; or Dr. Jose Juis Luna, General Secretary, Local Co-ordinating Committee, Mexican Society for Public Health, Insurgentes Sur 1397, 60 piso, Col. Insurgentes, Mixcoac, Delegation B. Juarez, 03920, Mexico City, Mexico.
This Congress is the fifth triennial international congress organized by the WFPHA. The World Federation of Public Health Associations is a world wide consortium of 45 national public health associations joining efforts to improve personal and community health and to strengthen the public health professions. Local hosts are the Mexican Society for Public Health.
Brief Reviews
Nutritional Adaptation in Man. By K. Blaxter and J. C. Waterlow. John Libbey & Co., 80-84 Bondway, Vauxhall, London, SW8 1 SF. 224 pp. Hardcover. £18; US$32.
This symposium had as its purpose the exploration of longer-term adaptations which take place in people who habitually consume a given type of diet or who are subject to increased metabolic demands. The adjustments may be social as well as biochemical and physiological. The authors of the 16 chapters are all well known for their wide experience and knowledge of the extensive literature on the subjects they review, which makes this by far the most authoritative and up-to-date treatment of the subject. It is also comprehensive. A partial list of contents includes considerations of child growth retardation, work capacity and productivity, disease and recovery, adaptation to protein and energy restriction, and the significance of adaption for the definition of nutrient requirements and for public policy.
Since the discussions and conclusions apply to much of the world's population and a great deal more well-directed research is required, this book is an important one. It will be particularly valuable to research workers in developing countries who are attempting to understand the functional consequences of malnutrition and chronic undernutrition in their populations.
Dietary Treatment and Prevention of Obesity. By Reva T. Frankle, Johanna Dwyer, Lenora Moragne, and Anita Owen. International Monographs on Obesity Series, no. 2. John Libbey & Co., 80-84 Bondway, London SW8 1SF. 214 pp. £17.50; US$30.
This paperback volume is based on the proceedings of a symposium held in conjunction with the 4th International Congress on Obesity in New York in October 1983. It deals with the state of the art of dietary treatment, obesity as a risk factor in nutrition-related diseases, and contemporary issues and research on obesity. Obesity is recognized as a multifaceted disease best approached in a comprehensive way. While no single diet alone is a solution to the problem, dietary intervention remains the mainstay of therapy, with exercise and behavioural modification as adjuncts. Since obesity is a risk factor in coronary heart disease, hypertension, non-insulin-dependent diabetes, and some forms of cancer, the public health implications of obesity are also addressed.
This book's greatest value is in providing the nutrition scientist with concise, well-documented reviews of these issues and in challenging common claims and misconceptions. For example, in one chapter it offers evidence that, contrary to common belief, increasing activity does not result in a spontaneous increase in food energy intake. Physicians and dieticians will also find much of interest in this book, although it is more concerned with providing background information than in guiding practical therapy.
Fibre Perspectives, Reviews and Bibliography. By Anthony R. Leeds. John Libbey & Co., 80-84 Bondway, Vauxhall, London SW8 ISF. 358 pp. Hardcover. f24; US$42.
So much is being written about dietary fibre in so many different scientific journals, popular magazines, and the lay press, much of it unreliable and contradictory, that there is a need for a critical compendium of current knowledge with a comprehensive bibliography. This volume contains well-written and referenced chapters on fibre in relation to the large gut, blood lipids, gallstones, diabetes, obesity, weight reduction, mineral absorption, and food products.
The cholesterol-lowering effect of certain types of dietary fibre appears firmly established, as does the role of fibre in relieving constipation. Fibre may also have some value for weight reduction. However, its relation to gallstones, diabetes, hypertension and bowel disease, including cancer, is not established. Considering the quantitative and qualitative decrease in the fibre content of diets over the past 100 years, an increase in dietary fibre, particularly from cereals, emerges as a recommendation. However, the volume provides no evidence for the extensive health benefits so often claimed for fibre. There is a short but useful index.
Nutritionists who are interested in the well-documented review articles, and who plan to make use of the extensive bibliography of 274 pages, including chapter references (out of a total of 358 pages), may wish to order this volume.