Arlene Spark - Nutrition in Public Health: Principles, Policies, and Practice

Soon after publication of the first edition of this book, Jose Vazquez, PhD, then master teacher of science in the Liberal Studies Program at New York University, wrote to me to say that he enjoyed reading Nutrition in Public Health , but had found two typos in the Cultural Competence chapter that could be fixed for the second edition. Dried salt cod, he wrote, should be spelled bacalao , and rice and beans should be arroz con gandules . I thanked Dr. Vazquez for his kind words, printed out his message, and tucked it into my copy of the book.

In addition to correcting the spelling of some Spanish dishes, the second edition of Nutrition in Public Health contains revisions of features found in the first edition. For example, chapters have been extensively revised to reflect new research; new topics such as the use of social media in health communications and the need for cultural competency around gender identity and gender expression; new programs and initiatives; updated URLs; and the most recent government guidance, including a preview of anticipated changes in the 2015 edition of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans .

There are, however, aspects of Nutrition in Public Health that are totally new to the second edition. Two of my former graduate students in the CUNY School of Public Health, Lauren M. Dinour, DPH, RD, and Janel Obenchain, MPH, assumed primary responsibility for not only revising the book but also refocusing it from primarily a reference book to a book suitable for the classroom.

The addition of such ancillaries as critical thinking questions and PowerPoint presentations makes this edition suitable for instruction in advanced-level undergraduate nutrition courses and graduate-level courses in both public health and public health nutrition, in social work, and in myriad other courses in the social sciences. We strived to retain the reference value of the book, which makes this volume useful not only for researchers but also for public health practitioners in state and local health departments, health and human services agencies, cooperative extension offices, research foundations, and health-related components in the private sector.

Weve corrected spelling mistakes and typos we found in the first edition of this book, some brought to our attention by users of the book and others we found during the revision process. Nevertheless, I assume full responsibility for any errors that appear in the current edition. I would appreciate your calling to my attention any errors you find, which I will tuck into my copy of this book so the errors are not repeated in future editions.

Arlene Spark

Immediately after deciding to embark on writing this book, I did exactly what any other public health nutritionist in the Internet age would doa Google search to determine the availability of other books, and also journals, dedicated to nutrition in public health. I identified six books with community nutrition in the title but only two books and a single journal devoted exclusively to public health nutrition. I found myself asking why I should not be reticent to add yet another book to what already seemed like a crowded field. Are nutrition and public health sufficiently mature for three new books in that many years? I believe the answer to that question is a resounding, unequivocal yes! Three books and a journal dedicated to a topic that unarguably holds the key to the primary and secondary prevention of some of the major causes of premature death in the United States must still be considered woefully inadequate.

The purpose of Nutrition in Public Health: Principles, Policies, and Practice is to provide public health professionals with an overview of the field, with a focus on the federal governments role in determining nutrition policy and practice. The book was written with the conviction that an understanding of government and a familiarity with the demographic profile of the United States population are necessary in order to appreciate nutrition in public health today.