American University’s online Master of Science in Nutrition Education Program Director, Anastasia Snelling, recently was published in the Journal of School Health’s September edition for her article Is It Time to Reconsider Offer Versus Serve?
About The Article
The article, co-authored with American University MS graduates Devin Ellsworth and Stephanie George, discusses the opportunity to impact childhood nutrition by reconsidering how foods are offered to children at school and differentiating how the foods offered are presented. Snelling, Ellsworth & George compare the ‘Offer’ model to the ‘Serve’ model in the school cafeteria. The offer model allows students to decline 2 of 5 components of a meal which includes grains, protein, fruits, vegetables, and milk. The ‘Serve’ model, however, gives students no choice as to what food will be on their plates. Although further research is needed, recent studies suggest that children who eat lunch at schools who follow the ‘serve’ model are more likely to eat vegetables. Read their commentary in Is It Time to Reconsider Offer Versus Serve?
About Anastasia Snelling
Dr. Snelling is a professor, Chair of the Department of Health Studies, and Dean of the School of Education at American University. She has been a member of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics as a registered dietitian for over thirty years and a fellow in the American College of Nutrition.
Dr. Snelling has taught courses in nutrition, health promotion, and health communication. Her research focuses on methods of behavior change in nutrition education to manage risk factors related to chronic disease. Specifically, Dr. Snelling aims to understand the impact of food policy and programs on weight status of students and teachers in the school environment.
Dr. Snelling holds a PhD in Counseling and Development and an MS in Health Fitness Management from American University in Washington, D.C., along with a BS in Clinical Dietetics from the University of Connecticut.
Supporting Courses
Directed by Dr. Snelling, American University’s online MS in Nutrition Education program includes an elective course entitled Health in the School Environment (HPRM 525). In this course, students will explore childhood obesity and the overall health status of children from early childhood through higher education. Building on work completed in Nutrition for Health and Lifecycle Nutrition, this course will apply the science of nutrition to environments where students learn. It will discuss educational programs to nutrition and health policies that are targeted to improve the overall health and wellbeing of students.
In this course students will learn how to:
- Analyze and demonstrate scientific knowledge in nutrition, consistent with health recommendations, throughout the lifecycle
- Identify and describe the relationship between dietary patterns and chronic disease
- Plan a nutrition education program by using all steps of select models and theories and cultural competence
- Demonstrate the process of translating research and theoretical nutrition concepts in to practice through an applied project
Resources
Ellsworth, D., George, S. and Snelling, A. (2015), Is It Time to Reconsider Offer Versus Serve?. Journal of School Health, 85: 575–577. doi: 10.1111/josh.12291
To learn more about American University’s online Master of Science in Nutrition Education, request more information or call us toll free at 855-725-7614.
