To: National Institutes of Health (NIH)
9000 Rockville Pike
Bethesda MD 20892
301-496-4000 / TTY 301-402-9612

February 28, 2019

Renate Myles
Acting Associate Deputy Director
Chief, News Media Branch

Amanda Fine
Deputy, News Media Branch

Emma Wojtowicz
Press Officer, News Media Branch

Dear Acting Associate Deputy Director, Renate Myles,

I am addressing this email to each person above because you all are listed on the NIH website regarding news worthy information. I will refer to the NY Times Opinion Today 2/28/2019 https://www.nytimes.com/2019/02/28/opinion/nutrition-health.html

We Need Better Answers on Nutrition

The U.S. is overdue to establish an institute devoted to research on the top cause of poor health.

By Joon Yun, David A. Kessler and Dan Glickman

Dr. Yun, Dr. Kessler and Mr. Glickman have served to improve the nation’s health as leaders in government, academia and the nonprofit sector.

This opinion points out many specific needs for a National Institute of Nutrition. I fully agree and as DocRD® I have spent my adult years approx. 37 years standing up and informing and educating people about the benefits of good nutrition on their own personal health. Many calls to action are herald throughout this NY Times “Opinion” and DocRD® L.L.C. has the answers. I would propose that DocRD® has a functional National Institute for Nutrition already in place. Look to the website Nutritional DocRD® at https://DocRD.com.

And, here is why we have the N.I.N. right now and are educating people through DocRD® Nutritional Consultations, DocRD® Store Tour Consultations, DocRD® Ask the Dietitian Nutritionist, our work on cutting edge Nutritional Research, our role within hospitals and healthcare to take on the problem of Severe Malnutrition by Medical Nutrition Therapy, helping all people all Americans eat healthier and improve their lifestyle with personal behavior modifications and better health.

“Opinion” states: Poor nutrition is a leading cause of poor health and spiraling health care spending.

Wholeheartedly agree Medical Nutrition Therapy (MNT) and one-on-one counseling with a nutrition expert is the way DocRD® educates to reduce poor health and outrageous spending.

Opinion: Poor eating contributes… disparities in well-being, …a vicious cycle of bad health, lost productivity, increased health costs and poverty. Poor nutrition and obesity …major threat to military readiness.

The opinion is that fundamental questions about food and health remain unanswered…DocRD® and Registered Dietitians Nutritionists (RD and RDN), the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, etc. have been answering these questions and have the expertise to help every American including our military get the answers about eating right and good nutrition for health.

Opinion points out the lack of funding in billions of dollars annually that contribute to a national research group to be the National Institute of Nutrition. At Nutritional DocRD® we have a full array of nutrition research based upon new findings and empirical evidence of existing research. These principles are our message and our services through consultation with people educating them to improve their health.

Opinion states: That is why our country needs an institute devoted to research on the top cause of poor health. We would call it the National Institute of Nutrition, and it would be part of the National Institutes of Health.

As DocRD® I am stating that we know the answers of the top cause of poor health—Poor Nutrition. Let us create a National Institute of Nutrition and we (DocRD®) have been doing just that creating our own National Institute of Nutrition. Therefore, this is why? …

The institute will facilitate and help coordinate incisive research into nutrients, foods and their relationships to better health. Some examples of its focus would include:

How to leverage food and nutrition policy and public-private partnerships in a “food is medicine” effort to reduce health care costs.

The DocRD®, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics as well as many Registered Dietitian Nutritionists have been actively involved in food and nutrition policy and public/private partnerships.

DocRD® through Nutritional DocRD® is providing Medical Nutrition Therapy (MNT) and consultation counseling and does and will continue to address all the following brought forth by Opinion:

Optimal nutrition for military readiness.

Optimal nutrition for treatment of battlefield consequences, including bodily injuries, brain injuries and post-traumatic stress.

Relationships between the gut microbiome and health.

Personalized nutrition based on life stage, metabolism, health state, health goals and genetics.

Health and metabolic effects of major food groups for which effects remain unclear or controversial, such as cheese, yogurt, whole-fat milk, unprocessed red meat, coconut oil, fermented foods, organic foods and more.

Optimal diets for weight loss and weight maintenance.

Optimal diets to prevent and treat Type 2 diabetes and pre-diabetes.

Optimal diets for cancer, both to reduce side effects of chemotherapy and radiation and also to directly target the cancer.

Health effect of trace bioactives and phenolics, like those in extra-virgin olive oil, cocoa, green tea, coffee, red wine, blueberries and more.

Many sessions with regular people just like you and me are getting answers to these areas to help them improve the eating habits to improve their health lowering health care costs. The effective results of RDs and RDNs to educate and to help persuade understanding of food and nutrition by these nutrition experts is the answer called for by Opinion…

Opinion continues:

Effective behavior change and systems approaches for healthier eating.

Effective approaches to reduce dietary and health disparities.

DocRD® has publications on Micronutrient Supplementation for Patients with HIV (2009), Vocational Education Graduates: A Mixed Methods Analysis on Beliefs and Influences of Career Choice and Persistence (2013) and more addressing how to change health behaviors. Especially, how to improve on motivation to change health behaviors. The effects of techniques and the knowledge base in improving behavior and motivation are being realized every day.

From Opinion:

Effects of foods on brain and mental health, from the developing brain in infants and children to protecting against memory loss, dementia and depression later in life.

Effects of foods on allergies and autoimmune and inflammatory diseases.

Coordinated new science for translation into national dietary guidelines and policies, such as the Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

Discoveries in these areas will help bring down health care costs and recover productivity loss as a result of diet-related diseases like obesity, diabetes, heart disease, many cancers and more.

We could not agree more and today the national Dietary Guidelines for All Americans is the guideline. Our nations medical professionals and physicians should regularly make referrals to RDs and RDNs for improving all American’s nutrition and health. To be educated and motivated to make behavioral changes toward better health through good nutrition.

Organizations like DocRD® L.L.C. are making the call to action a reality and exceedingly educating, motivating and guiding our youth and every day Americans to all the good things increased nutrition awareness and understanding will bring. I agree to establish and promote a National Institute of Nutrition and to be a part of the National Institutes of Health. It is time and it is a necessity.

Best regards to better nutrition,

Dr. Michael Todd Greene, Ed.D., M.S., R.D.N.
DocRD® L.L.C.

Copy to:  Dr. Joon Yun, Dr. David Kessler, Dan Glickman

Letter to diversity of letters to the editor nytimes.com

We Need Better Answers on Nutrition

nytimes.com

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/02/28/opinion/nutrition-health.html