March 2009 - Constituent Society Corner

News from the Ontario Society of Nutrition Professionals in Public Health

by Barb Bartle, member of the OPHA Board of Directors

The Ontario Society of Nutrition Professionals in Public Health (OSNPPH) is the official organization of registered dietitians working within public health in Ontario. OSNPPH facilitates networking and provides support to our membership in order to enhance our individual and collective effectiveness. Our current membership stands at 170.

After months of hard work by our website coordinator, Samara Foisy, OSNPPH launched our new website during the second week in March. We can now accept secure payment of your annual membership fee online, as well as the ability for you to attach a PDF of your CDO certificate. On-line registration and payment for our annual conference will be added next year.

The Nutrition Exchange, our annual conference, will be held May 21- 22 in Toronto. Highlights of the agenda include panel discussions on vitamin D and food allergies. Stay tuned to our website for registration information as it becomes available.

Key Activities over the past year:

  • Members participated in development of the Ontario Pre-Budget Submission on Finance and Economic Affairs as a member of the Ontario Collaborative Group on Healthy Eating and Physical Activity Advocacy Sub-Committee.

  • School Nutrition Work Group (SNWG) submitted recommendations to the Ministry of Health for the After School Nutrition Program.

  • SNWG collaborated with the Dietitians of Canada and the Ontario Collaborative Group on Healthy Eating and Physical Activity on a response to the revisions to the Ontario Curriculum Social Sciences and Humanities.

  • Representatives from OSNPPH, the OPHA Food Security Work Group, and Dietitians of Canada met with Health Canada to discuss discretionary fortification of foods.

  • The annual workshop was held in Toronto in January to provide dietetic interns information about the role of a registered dietitian in public health.

  • An Advocacy Committee was formed to help organize our advocacy activities.