Washington, D.C., November 7, 2004
- Marion Nestle, PhD, MPH, received the 2004 David P. Rall Award for Advocacy in Public Health today for bringing the issue of food and nutrition policies and their effects to the nation's health to the forefront. Nestle is a professor at the New York University Department of Nutrition, Food Studies and Public Health.
For the past 18 years, Nestle worked to place the importance of dietary factors and their determinants on the national agenda. She also worked to help consumers understand the power of their dietary choices on their health and focused on the influence of government on Americans' food choices. Nestle is considered a leader on food policy issues.
Nestle was the senior editor of the Surgeon General's Report on Nutrition and Health while serving as a senior nutrition advisor from 1986-1988 in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. While serving as a senior nutrition advisor in the Office of Health Promotion and Disease Prevention from 1986-1988 in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. This document provided the blueprint for the 1990 Dietary Guidelines for Americans and was the first government document clearly identifying the disease reduction risks associated with a diet low in fat and saturated fat and rich in fruits, vegetables and whole grains.
In 1988, Nestle became the chair of the New York University Department of Nutrition. As director of public health initiatives there, she worked on research that continued to call attention to implications on public health of food marketing practices and government food policies.
As the author of many publications, Nestle is most recognized for her award winning pieces: "Food Politics: How the Food Industry Influences Nutrition and Health," written in 2002, and "Safe Food: Bacteria, Biotechnology and Bioterrorism" in 2003. She tallied awards from the Association for American Publishers, the James Beard Foundation and the World Hunger Year for her 2002 work, and the Steinheardt School of Education's Griffiths Research Award for her work in 2003.
The American Public Health Association additionally awarded Nestle in 1994 with the Food and Nutrition Section's Excellence in Dietary Guidance Award. Time and Eating Well magazines both honored Nestle with awards, including Time's Obesity Warrior in 2004 and Eating Well's Nutrition Educator of the Year in 1997. The University of California Berkeley School of Public Health named Nestle the 2004 Alumna of the Year.
Nestle was involved with the Food and Drug Administration's Food Advisory Committee and Science Board. She was also on many American Cancer Society committees issuing dietary guidelines for cancer prevention. Besides APHA, Nestle is involved in many other professional associations, including the American Society for Clinical Nutrition, the American Society for Nutrition Science, National Association for Public Health Policy and Center for Science in the Public Interest.