Dr. Robert Post, Deputy Director of the USDA’s Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion to Speak about the USDA’s New MyPlate Initiative

What: 13th Annual Dudley Allen Sargent Lecture titled “USDA’s New MyPlate Initiative: Putting the Dietary Guidelines into Action”

Where: BU Sargent College, 635 Commonwealth Ave, Room 101, Boston, MA 02215

When: Tuesday, November 8, 2011, 4:30-5:30pm. There will be a reception following the lecture in the Setterberg Lounge, 2nd Floor.

Who: Since June 2007, Dr. Robert Post has been the Deputy Director of USDA’s Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion (CNPP).  There he represents the Department and directs USDA’s programs to set national nutrition policy, and design and implement innovative and effective science-based national nutrition promotion and outreach programs, to improve the health of all Americans.  In this position, Dr. Post has been responsible for overseeing the planning, development, and review of the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, and supporting programs, including the Healthy Eating Index and the USDA Food Plans.  He also led Department efforts to make the MyPyramid Food Guidance System at MyPyramid.gov the most widely accessed Federal website in history.  Today, he provides oversight for the design and implementation of the Government’s new MyPlate food icon, the new ChooseMyPlate.gov website, and the associated multi-modal, multi-year Dietary Guidelines consumer communications campaign.  Under the MyPlate public-private partnerships initiative, he is leading a challenge to corporate America, youth and research organizations, and public sector partners, to help magnify the reach of Dietary Guidelines nutrition messages by creatively working in ways that promote healthy eating practices and increase physical activity.

Dr. Post’s previous positions include Director of USDA’s food and nutrition labeling policy staff, and USDA’s food safety and consumer protection staff.  He has also authored more than 75 papers and publications in the areas of food and nutrition policy.

Dr. Post is also an adjunct professor in the Nutrition and Food Science Department of the University of Maryland, instructing courses in nutrition, food and public policy; and food industry quality control and marketing.

Watch last year’s DAS lecture, “Health Care Disparities for Persons with Disabilities” By Lisa Iezzoni