Past President of the American Dietetic Association Takes Helm of American Council for Fitness and Nutrition to Spearhead Initiatives For Combating Obesity

Washington, D.C., March 31, 2003 – The American Council for Fitness and Nutrition (ACFN) today announced that Susan Finn, Ph.D., RD, LD, FADA, will serve as its first Chair and will lead ACFN in its efforts to combat the obesity epidemic facing America, particularly its youth.  Dr. Finn, whose experience and achievements have given her a broad knowledge of nutrition and fitness, shares ACFN’s commitment to advocating a balance between healthy eating habits and regular exercise. “Dr. Finn has devoted many years to educating the public about nutrition, and she demonstrates an exceptional passion for helping people achieve a healthier balance for life.
This determination and spirit will serve her well in her new role,” said C. Manly Molpus, president and CEO of the Grocery Manufacturers of America. GMA is a member of ACFN.  “As a respected dietitian, Dr. Finn is well qualified to offer American families and communities realistic solutions about nutrition and fitness.” By promoting programs and policies that emphasize the importance of proper nutrition and regular physical activity, ACFN hopes to give families, schools and communities increased access to resources and tolls that can help them address the issues of overweight and obesity in America. ACFN supports increased nutrition education in schools, mandatory physical education, and applied research on behavior change to support fitness and nutrition education goals. “The Council and I make a perfect match.  We believe in giving consumers the right tools that they need to achieve a healthy balance between fitness and nutrition,” said Dr. Finn. “There is a growing consensus among nutrition and fitness experts that small changes in one’s diet and physical activity can achieve real results for better health.  The promotion of such science-based information is one of my goals as the Council’s Chair.” In her new position, Dr. Finn will advocate practical answers for improving America’s health, such as constructive policies based on behavioral research.  She will also be working with the media to provide data from the medical, nutrition and fitness communities about programs and methods that help people meet their own fitness and nutrition goals.  Additionally, as the ACFN Chair, Dr. Finn will lead sessions with health and medical professionals, recreation and fitness experts, parents groups, educators, and policy makers to better understand the nutrition and fitness issues in their communities. Dr. Finn will also share with them information about the available resources for community weight and health issues such as PEP grants provided by the U.SDepartment of Education and cost-effective nutrition curricula that schools can utilize. In addition to public outreach, Dr. Finn with will meet regularly with ACFN’s membership and its Advisory Board to discuss industry activities. The goal of these meetings will be to provide industry decision makers with their expertise and advice on the development and implementation of company health outreach programs and general business practices as they may impact public nutrition and health.

Dr. Finn has had a distinguished career with Ross Products, a division of Abbott Laboratories, where she served as the Director of Nutrition and Communications and was responsible for nutrition and education programs, as well as establishing partnerships with other healthcare community individuals and organizations to improve the health of the public.  Dr. Finn was elected as President of the American Dietetic Association in 1993, and is a member of the American Society of Clinical Nutrition and the American Society for Parental and Enteral Nutrition. 

Dr. Finn has degrees from Bowling Green State University and Case Western Reserve University.  She was awarded her Ph.D. in nutritional science from The Ohio State University in 1973.  Since she received her Ph.D., she has served as an Adjunct Associate Professor at Ohio State and directs their Industry, Communications and Research program. She has received numerous honors and awards for her accomplishments. Dr. Finn also co-authored two books on nutrition and published a variety of professional research and consumer stories.

About ACFN

The American Council for Fitness and Nutrition is a non-profit organization established to promote a healthy balance between fitness and nutrition, and to deliver information about balance and lifestyle choices based on the best available science.  ACFN was founded by a coalition of food and beverage companies, not-for-profit organizations, and trade associations working together to improve the health of all Americans. 

For more information about ACFN, please visit us on the Web at www.acfn.org.