Group Nutrition Intervention

Project
SAMANTHA ALESSI

Introduction- Population
Interstate Commodities Inc.
21 Employees Surveyed
12 Males
9 Female
Age Range: 24-53
Key Informant: Office Manager who has been with

the company for over 30 years and has a personal

relationship with most of the employees.

Key Informant Interview

Many of the employees are between the ages of 23

and 30, and are single. Socially the employees like to

go out and have drinks together after work.
Environmentally there are always sweets available in
the office. There is always a drawer full of candy, and
there are usually homemade cookies and brownies in
the office kitchen.
Physical challenges faced are that they are inactive
most of the day at work sitting at a desk behind a
computer.

Problem
When asked what their unhealthiest eating

habit was many said eating sweets

throughout the day, and ordering takeout
for lunch.
50 % of the population surveyed stated that

they had more than 8 alcoholic drinks in

a week, and that they binge drink.

 According to Parry, alcohol is causally

Review of the
LiteratureHeavy
Drinking

linked to eight different cancers, with

the risk increasing with volume
consumed.
Parry concluded that there is a strong
link between alcohol and noncommunicable diseases, particularly
cancer, cardiovascular disease, liver
disease, pancreatitis and diabetes, these
findings are supports by the World
Health Organization.
(Parry, Patra & Jurgen, 2011)
Alcohol contains 7 kcal/g.
Overconsumption can lead to unwanted
weight gain. (Wang, et al., 2010)

Review of the Literature- Moderate Drinking

According to the Nurses

Health Study,
participants who drank
alcohol at regular
patterns throughout the
week, rather than a
single occasion, had
better odds of successful
ageing.
(Sun, Townsend,
Okereke, Rimm, Hu,
Stampfer & Grodstein,
2011)

Review of the Literature- Added Sugar Intake

According to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics,

higher intake of added sugars is associated with high

energy intake and lower diet quality, which can
increase the risk for obesity, pre-diabetes, type 2
diabetes, and cardiovascular disease.
The average added sugar intake for adults 19 years
and older is 79 grams based on 2000 kcal diet.
The USDA recommends no more than 32 grams of
added sugar for a 2000 kcal diet.
("Position of the academy of nutrition and dietetics:
Use of nutritive and nonnutritive sweeteners," 2012)

Data Collection

Graph 1. This graph represents the alcohol consumption of 21 participants. 6 participant stated that they
consumed 8-10 alcoholic beverages/week, while 4 claimed to consumed greater than 10. Many of the
subjects stated that they typically consume the majority of their alcoholic beverages in the evening.

Data Collection

Graph 2. This graph represents what participants viewed as their most unhealthy habit. Many stated that
eating sweets, daily, was their worst habit. While drinking came in second, followed by smoking and other
detrimental habits. All of which play a vital role in increasing ones likelihood of disease.

Discussion
While the target population cannot see the future affects

of their daily actions. Their habits put them at risk in the

future for cancer and cardiovascular disease, as they
continue to age.
After reviewing the literature and from the data collected,
I believe that the participants alcohol and added sugar
consumption put them at an increased risk for disease in
the future.
In the Nurses Health Study, moderate alcohol
consumption could be beneficial for overall health. But
since this population participates in binge drinking, they
do not fall into this category.

Goals
Nutrition
Intervention

1) Decrease the participants sweets

and junk food consumption.
2) Decrease the participants alcohol
consumption and frequency of
binge drinking.
3) Increase daily physical activity
and exercise.
4) Increase overall knowledge about
the importance of nutrition and
physical activity.

Macro and Micronutrient Intake

Females

CHO: 130 g/day

Protein: 46 g/day
Total Fat: 20- 35 g/day
(AMDR)
Sodium: 1500 mg/day (AI)
Calcium: 1000 mg/day (AI)
Iron: 18 mg/day
ADDED Sugars: 32 g/day
or no more than 25%
of energy
Alcohol: IOM has no
recommended intake

Males

CHO: 130 g/day

Protein: 56 g/day
Total Fat: 20- 35 g/day
(AMDR)
Sodium: 1500 mg/day (AI)
Calcium: 1000 mg/day (AI)
Iron: 8 mg/day
ADDED Sugars: 32 g/day
or no more than 25%
of energy
Alcohol: IOM has no
recommended intake

Nutrition Intervention
Gardner et al., 2007 tells us that there are many possible

ways to achieve weight loss and that no one diet is

absolutely better than the other. It is all relative to the
individual.
According to my survey added sugars is a major concern
with a majority of the participants.
Therefore a low carbohydrate diet may be most beneficial
for those in this study.

According to AND the average sugar intake for adults > 19 yrs is 79
g/ day.
The USDA recommends <32 g of added sugars/ day.
A sufficient decrease in sugars is recommended for the participants.

Making the Changes

Good!

Bad!

Fill the office fridge

Fill your desk drawers

with fruits and

vegetables.
Take a walk during
your lunch break
Drink water
throughout the day

with candy
Stay at your desk and
browse the internet
Alcohol consumption
after work

Educational Program
Hold monthly seminars on making healthy food

choices, food preparation, weight management/

weight loss, exercise and the risks of alcohol
consumption.
Through education and obtaining knowledge of how
to lead a healthier life may benefit and motivate
them to alter certain lifestyle factors.
Creating fitness challenges throughout the year, that
will motivate them through competition to achieve
their goals, as well as promote teamwork throughout
the organization.

Educational
Program
Outline

I. Environmental Concerns(5mins)

Office Environment
Risks of sedentary lifestyle

Metabolic syndrome

II. Nutrition Advice(20mins)

Ways to incorporated healthy foods into diet

Substitutions for sweets and junk food
Benefits of packing lunch
Planned eating
Understanding food labels
Food preparation

III. Physical Activity(10mins)

Incorporated physical activity & exercise throughout the day.

Benefits of a workout buddy

IV. Goal Setting(10mins)

Activity using S.M.A.R.T. goals to set nutrition and exercise goals.

V. Weight Management/Loss(10mins)

Safe and effective ways to lose weight.

Which diets best for me- individualized recommendations

VI. Follow Up- 1 month later (30mins)

How they are progressing with their goals and setting new goals.

Weight Management/ Weight Loss

Creating the best internal environment
Energy in= Energy out
3500 kcal= 1 pound
-500 kcal a day= 1 pound a week loss
Should not lose more than 2 pounds a week, this will

better chances of keeping weight off.

Best results seen when diet and exercise are used in
sync.
(Rosenbloom & Coleman, 2012)

Weight Management/ Weight Loss

According to Rosenbloom, each diet plan needs to

individualized, by incorporating personal food

preference, religious beliefs, convenience and cost.
An evaluation should be performed to determine if
goals are being met.
As well as reassessment or original measures is
invaluable in tracking progress, and adjusting
original goals.
(Rosenbloom & Coleman, 2012)

References
Gardner CD, Kiazand A, Alhassan S, et al. Comparison of the Atkins, Zone, Ornish, and LEARN Diets for
Change in Weight and Related Risk Factors Among Overweight Premenopausal Women: The A TO Z
Weight Loss Study: A Randomized Trial. JAMA.2007;297(9):969-977. doi:10.1001/jama.297.9.969.
Parry, C. D., Patra, J., & Jurgen, R. (2011). Alcohol consumption and non-communicable diseases:
Epidemiology and policy implications. Society for the study of addiction, (106), 1718-1724. doi:
10.1111/j.1360-0443.2011.03605.x
(2012). Position of the academy of nutrition and dietetics: Use of nutritive and nonnutritive sweeteners.
Journal of the academy of nutrition and dietetics,112(5), 739-758. doi: 10.1016/j.jand.2012.03.009
Rosenbloom, C. A., & Coleman, E. J. (2012). Sports nutrition: A practice manual for professionals. (5th
ed.). Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
Sun, Q., Townsend, M. K., Okereke, O. I., Rimm, E. B., Hu, F. B., Stampfer, M. J., & Grodstein, F. (2011).
Alcohol consumption at midlife and successful ageing in women: A prospective cohort analysis in the
nurses' health study. PLoS Med, 8(9), e1001090. doi: 10.1371/journal.pmed.1001090
Wang, L., Min, L., Manson, J. E., Buring, J. E., & Sesso, H. D. (2010). Alcohol consumption, weight gain,
and risk of becoming overweight in middle-aged and older women. Archives of Internal
Medicine,170(5), 453-461. Retrieved from http://archinte.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?
articleid=415737