VSDC Eat Smart classes Spring/Summer 2004

Classes for the previous courses were held at May 3 to July 23, 2004, at the Watha T. Daniel Library on Monday evenings and at Southeast Tennis and Learning Center on Tuesday evenings. The Monday class met twice at the VSDC office. One week the two classes heard a lecture by George Eisman, RD on Diet and Disease, at the Martin Luther King Junior Memorial Library.

The Inaugural VSDC Eat Smart Program Is a Success

Reprinted here from VSDC News, September/October 2004.

The VSDC Eat Smart Program held a festive graduation ceremony for its first graduating class at the beautiful home of VSDC volunteer and Eat Smart participant Saundra Woods on Friday 23 July. After Project Director Tracye McQuirter, MPH, and Saundra Woods handed out certificates and gifts to the graduates, Patricia Davidson, MD, FACP, gave an informative and motivational keynote address to help the graduates to continue to improve their dietary choices on their own.

The VSDC Eat Smart Program empowers populations at high risk of developing diet-related disorders with information and strategies to provide healthier diets for themselves and their families. The program is currently operating with a one-year grant from the US Department of Health and Human Services with additional financial and volunteer support from VSDC to reduce racial disparities in health. Diet-related health conditions are among the leading causes of disability and death. Data from the DC Department of Health indicate that heart disease, cancer, stroke, hypertension, and diabetes accounted for 59.8% of all local deaths in 2000. African Americans, Latinos, women, and low-income individuals are disproportionately afflicted.

To ensure that the Eat Smart Program is based on sound nutritional science, VSDC hired Tracye McQuirter, MPH, as the parttime Project Director and class instructor, and established an Advisory Committee that includes: Milton Mills, MD, Internist, Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine; Doron Petersan, RD, Proprietor, Sticky Fingers Bakery; Cyndi Reeser, MPH, RD, LD, Lead Nutritionist, Lipid Research Clinic and Center for Integrative Medicine, George Washington University; Jennifer Keller, RD, Nutritionist, Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine; Robbie Ali, MD, Professor, University of Pittsburgh, Graduate School of Public Health; and Coren Wheeler, Education Director, Southeast Tennis and Learning Center. All of the Advisory Committee members participated in classes as guest lecturers, class leaders, and/or facilitators. Additionally, Dr. David Banks has provided evaluation services to gauge the program's success.

The course was conducted at Watha T. Daniels Library and the Southeast Tennis and Learning Center from 3 May to 23 July 2004 with an enrollment of 36 individuals ranging from pre-teens to seniors. In fact, an entire family completed the course together: a mother, her two pre-teen children, her father-in-law, and her daycare provider. Most of the participants were African Americans and/or women. The 19 graduates completed at least 70% of the program. Of the 75% of graduates who filled out the final survey:

100% reported that their knowledge of the basics of good nutrition has increased substantially.
100% reported that their knowledge of how to prepare healthful meals has increased substantially.
100% reported that their knowledge of how to shop for healthful foods has increased substantially.
100% reported that they noticed a substantial improvement in their dietary choices.
87% reported that their knowledge of how to eat out healthfully has increased substantially.
87% of participants with families reported that they noticed a substantial improvement in the dietary choices of their families.

The first VSDC Eat Smart course surpassed our expectations. Participants' responses to the program were overwhelming. In their own words:

"The program helped me lower my cholesterol and educated me more on my health and well being. I'm also eating more vegetables." - Keefe Wanzer

"I am eating more green vegetables and I have more energy than ever before." - Oretha Chandler

"I learned how to better decipher food labels and got totally turned on to 'raw food' cooking." - Jan Bailey

"I learned how to shop for healthy food that's fresh and low cost. I learned how to make healthy choices when eating out.... I learned that just as good foods like fruits and vegetables have a good affect on my health, bad foods like certain fats and over processed foods have a bad affect on my health. I've lost fifteen pounds since beginning the class in May. I no longer feel compelled to eat meat to get the nutrients my body needs. I am very happy about this especially since I don't find meat as appetizing as I once did, given the contaminants like mercury in fish and the unhealthy ways in which chickens and cattle are raised." - Leigh Ann Smith

"I am glad that the Eat Smart Program was located in a community center. I found out about the program just by being in the community center. I think that outreach is great! Additionally, I have tasted and seen food that I never had before. I have learned new ways to prepare foods. Instructors bring about an excitement that makes you want to do the right thing. Resources have been overwhelming - I can actually locate restaurants that serve nutritious food. The staff is always on time, very courteous, they appear to be healthy and - the meetings are never boring. Handouts and literature are great! I share them with my friends." - Sharon Calhoun

"The classes were an excellent boost for a dabbler vegetarian to make a firm commitment to vegetarianism. There was a complete presentation of health, environmental, ecological and economic impacts of vegetarianism. With Washington, DC's health problems, we certainly need such a series of classes." - Constance Thomas-Razza

The next VSDC Eat Smart course will be conducted simultaneously at two sites from September to November 2004. If you are interested in attending, please visit www.vsdc.org for more information. VSDC also needs additional funds to continue this project after the grant period. If you are able to help with a fully tax-deductible contribution, please send your check, payable to VSDC, to PO Box 4921, Washington, DC 20008. Please write "Eat Smart Program" on the memo line of your check.

VSDC would like to thank all students, volunteers, Advisory Committee members, staff, and donors for making the first VSDC Eat Smart course a great success!

VSDC Congratulates All Eat Smart Program Graduates: [picture and names omitted]