2024年功勋成就奖得主因长期倡导营养而获奖, 更健康的生活.
爱丽丝·H·利希滕斯坦, 成为全国领先的营养研究人员之一的道路有一个不太可能的开始.
As a child growing up in New York City in the 1960s, 她被诊断患有阅读障碍,并被告知她可能无法获得大学学位. Besides, nobody in her family had ever gone to college.
“人们的期望值极低,”塔夫茨大学(Tufts University)的研究员利希滕斯坦说. “我妈妈想,嗯,也许如果我主修家政专业,我就能读完大学."
So she enrolled in "home ec" classes at Buffalo State University, 但她很快就厌倦了,转到了康奈尔大学,在那里她一头扎进了营养科学课程. It's there she found her true calling.
"I was aware that on my block in Queens, there were a number of fathers who died of heart attacks in their 50s. 越来越多地意识到饮食和健康之间可能存在的关系,这才是真正让我迷上营养的原因."
利希滕斯坦后来在宾夕法尼亚州立大学获得了科学硕士学位,在哈佛大学获得了科学博士学位, 开始一段漫长的职业生涯,探索我们吃的东西和我们身体的反应之间的关系. 随后,她获得了东芬兰大学(原库奥皮奥大学)的荣誉博士学位。. A "grand dame of nutrition," as the 华盛顿邮报》 叫她, 利希滕斯坦已经为美国心脏协会做了40多年的志愿者, starting at the state level and expanding to the national level.
For her service and efforts to help people live longer, 更健康的生活, Lichtenstein will be honored Thursday, 5月2日, 与美国心脏协会的功勋成就奖在其全国颁奖典礼上. 的 网络沙巴体育平台点击进入 will take place from 6 to 8 p.m. 中央. 该奖项每年颁发给为协会做出重要贡献的个人或组织.
利希滕斯坦是资深科学家,也是美国农业部老龄化人类营养研究中心心血管营养小组主任,该中心位于波士顿塔夫茨大学. Gershoff Professor of Nutrition Science and Policy . She's also worn a wide range of hats as an AHA volunteer.
自1984年以来, 她作为志愿者领袖和营养科学的倡导者,帮助塑造了该组织的战略方向, 研究与翻译. She's engaged with a long list of prestigious committees, including the AHA Nutrition Committee (vice-chair 2000-2003; chair 2003-2006), 制定和推广精心设计的营养计划,帮助预防和治疗心血管疾病.
She's led or been an author of more than 40 AHA scientific statements, 建议及指引, 包括2021年美国心脏协会饮食指南促进心血管健康科学声明工作组主席, which emphasizes a heart-healthy diet starting early in life.
她是美国心脏协会2017年膳食脂肪和心血管疾病总统咨询的写作小组成员, and 2023's Food Is Medicine Presidential Advisory, which calls for nutrition interventions and policies to improve health.
今天, 她担任营养出版委员会主席,也是美国心脏协会营养委员会超加工食品营养委员会写作小组的成员.
As the science of healthy eating has evolved, including her own research laboratory's work, 利希滕斯坦帮助传播了关于脂肪的不断发展的发现, 胆固醇和糖, 还有其他因素, and their relationship to cardiovascular risk factors. While knowledge of nutrition has improved drastically, she believes there's still a dire need to improve health literacy, 尤其是在学校.
"Unless we educate children, 尽早且经常, in the basics concepts of food and nutrition, all our work is going to go for naught,她说.
“社交媒体上充斥着大量关于营养的错误信息,这使得美国心脏协会变得更加重要, because they're an authoritative source. 每当有人要求我提供可靠的信息来源时,我都会说,‘去美国心脏协会的网站吧. there is a vast amount of consumer friendly information."
利希滕斯坦说,她对越来越多的人转向以水果为主的饮食模式感到乐观, 蔬菜, 全谷物, low and nonfat dairy products, fish and plant sources of protein, with minimal amounts of salt and added sugar. But it might take some additional nudging.
"We've got to make the default option the healthiest option,她说. "If people are served whole wheat buns, whole wheat pasta and pizza crust made with whole wheat, 他们可能会吃掉它."
Four decades after she began volunteering for the AHA, 利钦斯坦鼓励其他人贡献自己的沙巴足球体育平台和精力来支持该组织的使命.
"It's a terrific opportunity to work with smart, interesting people and broaden your perspective,她说. “这是一个非常友好的环境,你的声音会被听到和欣赏. When you work with the Heart Association, you really do feel that you're contributing to something positive. 这是一个双赢的局面."