BOSTON UNIVERSITY PROFESSOR'S INTERACTIVE, ONLINE WEIGHT MANAGEMENT TIPS HELP KICK OFF NATIONAL HEALTHY WEIGHT WEEK - JANUARY 18-24

Wednesday, January 14, 2006

(Boston, MA) -- Joan Salge Blake, clinical assistant professor of nutrition at Boston University’s Sargent College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences has made weight loss as easy as clicking your mouse.

Salge Blake has designed an interactive, web-based, “52 Small Steps To Weight Loss Program” consisting of simple, realistic lifestyle changes such as doubling your daily vegetable intake, switching to whole grain bread once a week, or getting off the bus one stop earlier, that will aid in healthy weight loss and maintenance. Her individualized tips mirror the National Healthy Weight Week (HWW) efforts to teach individuals the benefits of lifestyle changes, rather than excessive weight loss programs, for long-term success.

“The most common misconception is that weight loss has to be a painful process,” said Salge Blake. “In reality, small steps can add up to major lifestyle changes and lifetime weight management.”

Salge Blake’s interactive program along with her other interactive tools such the "Virtual Salad Bar" and "Virtual Pizza Parlor" can be accessed through her website at http://people.bu.edu/salge.

HWW is observed annually by the National Health Information Center Network to emphasize the importance of healthy habits rather than obsessive behaviors such as extreme dieting. Awards, events, and awareness initiatives support the week’s theme of “eating well, living actively, and feeling good about yourself and others.”

“Healthy Weight Week is a timely promotion to kick off the year with positive changes that will encourage lifetime healthy eating and living,” said Salge Blake. “With the obesity epidemic on the rise, there are an increasing number of ‘quick fix’ diet options on the market. More people than ever are in need of sound practical advice and options for not only lifetime weight management but also for a lifetime of good health. The dietary advice that you are following to manage your waist should also be kind to your heart and help fight cancer and other chronic diseases.”

For more information on HWW, please visit http://www.healthfinder.gov/library/nho/nho.asp#m1 or http://www.healthyweight.net/.

Joan Salge Blake is also a registered dietitian who has worked extensively with the media and maintains her own private practice, specializing in weight management. She is currently working on a college-level, nutrition textbook entitled, Nutrition and You. You can view her recipe collection and additional interactive nutrition programs at: http://people.bu.edu/salge.

Boston University’s Sargent College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences is an institution of higher education and research whose premier academic programs prepare dynamic health professionals and whose research and leadership in the health and rehabilitation sciences is actively shaping health care. For more information about Sargent College and to learn about their degree programs in physical therapy, occupational therapy, communication disorders, health sciences, athletic training, nutrition, and rehabilitation counseling, visit http://www.bu.edu/sargent.