October 11, 2000

Beef producers say they will be well represented when The American Dietetic Association (ADA) holds its Food & Nutrition Conference & Exhibition in Denver Oct. 16-19. They hope the industry's checkoff-funded "Everyday Heroes" campaign will impress the organization's members and other nutrition authorities attending the event.

Included in the beef industry-supported programs at the event is a workshop called "Women as Everyday Heroes: Understanding and Shaping Their Nutritional, Physical and Emotional Needs Across the Lifecycle." The workshop will feature members from the beef industry's Council for Women's Nutrition Solutions (CWNS) and summarize consumer research and identify opportunities for young women to overcome key nutrition and physical activity challenges with beef as one of their solutions.

Other beef checkoff-supported programs at the Food & Nutrition Conference & Exhibition include an extensive booth in the trade show Oct. 17-19 and sponsorship of beef meal at The American Dietetic Association Foundation banquet Oct. 17.

According to Jay O'Brien, a beef producer from Amarillo, TX, and chairman of the beef industry's Nutrition & Health Committee, the entire event is a chance to provide facts about beef to an important audience.

"These professionals help determine what kinds of foods are appropriate for the diets of Americans," O'Brien says. " Yet our research shows that the nutrients in beef aren't widely recognized by this group. By providing dietitians and nutritionists with credible, scientific information, we're helping them better understand how beef fits in those diets."