title: Nutrition and physical activity in health promotion and disease prevention: potential role for the dental profession.
abstract: Nutrition contributes to many of the leading causes of death in the United States, yet less than one-third of dental students feel competent to discuss the relationship of nutrition and systemic disease with their patients. The American Dental Association policy statements acknowledge a need for health professionals and organizations to provide continuing education to professionals and counseling to patients to combat the growing problems of overweight and obesity. Dentists can play a major role in educating patients to adopt a healthier lifestyle, including nutrition and physical activity recommendations. An understanding of the complexity of behavior change may enhance the dentist's ability to assist their patients in making desired changes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Institute of Human Nutrition, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA. sa109@columbia.edu
authors.forename: Sharon R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Akabas
authors.forename: Joanne D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Chouinard
authors.forename: Bonnie R
authors.initials: BR
authors.lastname: Bernstein
mesh_terms: D003376:Counseling; D003815:Dentists; D004032:Diet / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015444:Exercise; D015438:Health Behavior; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D009909:Oral Health / Q000193:education*; D024382:Professional Role