NEW SOUTH FLORIDA SPOKESPERSON FOR THE AMERICAN HEART ASSOCIATION

NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED NUTRITIONIST, REGISTERED DIETITIAN AND AUTHOR,
RONNI LITZ JULIEN, MS, RD/LDN, TO SERVE AS SOUTH FLORIDA SPOKESPERSON FOR THE AMERICAN HEART ASSOCIATION’S CHILDHOOD OBESITY CAMPAIGN AND ALLIANCE FOR A HEALTHIER GENERATION.


MIAMI, FL – Hot on the heels of former President Clinton’s initiative with the American Heart Association (AHA) and news of the breakthrough collaboration for a healthier generation of children, comes the announcement of Miami-based nutritionist and registered dietitian, Ronni Litz Julien (MS, RD/LDN), as South Florida spokesperson for the American Heart Association Childhood Obesity Campaign and Alliance for a Healthier Generation.

Julien, who has dedicated her professional life to teaching healthy eating habits to all ages, joins the American Heart Association at a time when childhood obesity has reached endemic proportions. For the past 20 years, Julien has been educating children and adults on how to develop lifelong behavioral changes, creating nutrition lifestyles that are realistic, and simple to manage. Julien is hoping her new role for the organization will help deliver the message to American parents and adults that all is not well with the state of children’s health today, and that much more action is needed. “We must change the research of new studies which support the fact that if we can’t get a hold of our children and their eating habits, their lives will be shorted by two to five years—how very frightening,” Julien states.

CHANGE IS TAKING PLACE, SLOWLY
A landmark agreement between The American Heart Association, The Clinton Foundation and five major food companies (Kraft, Dannon, Campbells, Mars and PepsiCo) was announced on October 6th, 2006, the aim of which is to promote a healthier lifestyle and balanced diet to help reduce the risk of obesity and heart disease. As part of the agreement, these food companies have established nutrition guidelines that will lead to healthier choices for millions of children in schools across the nation.

The new guidelines are also meant to reinforce positive nutrition lessons that children are taught at home – an area in which Julien is a renowned expert. Having recently authored the indispensable parents’ guide called “What Should I Feed My Kids? How to Keep Your Children Healthy By Teaching Them To Eat Right” (Career Press, 2006), Julien’s knowledge and advice to parents (and children) mirrors that of the American Heart Association’s – teaching healthy eating habits to all.

Eating habits formed early in life are often carried well into adulthood. Unfortunately, the likelihood of an obese child becoming an obese adult continues to increase with age. Most frightening though, is the very real risk of health problems that plague the obese, which include heart disease, diabetes and cancer. The new alliance from The American Heart Association, as well as Julien’s role within the AHA aims to bring this message to the forefront and bring about immediate changes in the way that American children are fed. “The Alliance has certainly taken substantial steps toward getting our schools and communities involved, however, much of the significant actions must come from parents—they are primarily the responsible party”, said Julien.

For an interview, or more information about Ronni Litz Julien, please contact Vanessa Horwell on 786.206.7883.

About Ronni Litz Julien
Nutritionist, registered dietitian, author and parent, Ronni Litz Julien, MS, RD/LDN has dedicated her professional life to teaching healthy eating habits to all ages. For over 20 years, Ronni has been educating children and adults on how to develop lifelong behavioral changes, creating nutrition lifestyles that are realistic, and simple to manage. An expert on family nutrition, Ronni was one of the nutrition counselors to clients of the South Beach Diet, and has authored two books that address the lack of healthy eating habits in the United States today, “The Trans Fat Free Kitchen,” and “What Should I Feed My Kids?” Ronni serves as a primary consultant to local and national media on the topic of nutrition and healthy eating, and is a spokesperson for The American Heart Association’s Campaign on Childhood Obesity and The National Watermelon Board. In 2004, Ronni was recognized as the Dietitian of the Year by the Miami Dietetic Association, and runs a private nutrition practice in Miami, Florida.

About The American Heart Association
Since 1924, the American Heart Association has helped protect people of all ages and ethnicities from the ravages of heart disease and stroke. These diseases, the nation’s No. 1 and No. 3 killers, claim more than 910,000 American lives a year. The association invested nearly $474 million in fiscal year 2004-05 for research, professional and public education, advocacy, and community service programs so people across America can live stronger, longer lives

For Media Enquiries, please contact:
Vanessa Horwell
ThinkInk Communications
786.206.7883
Vanessa@thinkinkpr.com

see the American Heart Association Childhood Obesity Key Messages...