FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Three dietitians received top Awards last night at the New Zealand Dietetic Association's annual conference in
Christchurch.
Dunedin researcher and private practice dietitian Alwyn Todd is the first ever recipient of the NZDA Unilever
Scholarship - a generous award of $10,000 annually for up to four years practice-based research that develops and
extends the evidence base in the area of cardiovascular disease. It also allows dietitians who are recipients of the
award to continue their practice while carrying out research.
Alwyn's focus is on the role of nutrition in disease prevention. She is currently running a clinical study looking at
how much salt people have in their diets and how their blood vessels are functioning - the results of the study will be
written up as her PhD ‘The impact of dietary sodium chloride intake on arterial wall function in normotensive and
hypertensive subjects, a randomised controlled cross over intervention study’.
'One in three New Zealanders now has high blood pressure,' says Alwyn. 'Most New Zealanders consume over double the
recommended intake of salt each day (guidelines for disease prevention now recommend a maximum intake of 4 g/day and, in
New Zealand, we consume approximately 9g/day).'
'Our study is designed to assess the effect of different levels of salt on blood vessel function in people with normal
and high blood pressure. This study will provide information on how much salt in our diets is actually harmful in terms
of blood vessel function. It also looks at whether dietary change can improve people's blood pressure, and the degree of
benefit dietary change may have,' she says.
Amber Parry Strong, research dietitian at the Wellington School of Medicine is the recipient of the Neige Todhunter
Award. The award, which provides funding for dietitians to extend their academic career with post graduate research,
will enable Amber to complete her PhD in Human Nutrition on Type 2 Diabetes and Weight Loss.
The aim of her study is to assess whether a high-protein:moderate carbohydrate diet is more effective than a low
fat:high carbohydrate diet in reducing weight and maintaining weight loss and improving glycaemic control, insulin
sensitivity, lipid profile and blood pressure without adverse effects in subjects with type 2 diabetics.
This is Amber’s second award; in 2003 she was the Nestle Young Achiever. She is in private practice, an advisor to the
NZ Food Safety Authority (NZFSA), and has worked as a nutrition consultant to the Dairy Goat Co-operative and Sportswide
Fitness Centre.
Auckland dietitian Kristin Leaity is this year's Nestle Young Achiever which is given to a dietitian who, within five
years of registration, excels in an aspect of dietetic practice beyond the usual requirements of their job.
Kristin has developed a number of dietetic related initiatives in both New Zealand and Australia after first gaining
experience as a new graduate dietitian in clinical dietetics at Auckland City Hospital during which time she helped
develop an enteral feeding audit tool for quality assurance which is now a bi-annual audit activity for the Hospital's
department.
Currently National Dietitian for the New Zealand Compass Group, Kristin has implemented the ‘Taste Life’ health and
wellness programme into school, retail and residential sectors of the community, as well as a Diet Care programme for
aged care sites - a complete programme of resources specific to senior living, to ensure nutrition needs of residents
are met within financial guidelines.
'This is an outstanding achievement for a dietitian who, within the first five years of qualifying, is recognised and
respected as a nutrition and dietetic expert in programmes that influence the nutrition of a significant number of New
Zealanders,' says Sandy Clemett, President of the New Zealand Dietetic Association. 'Kristin’s contribution to the
profession, both at a local and national level, over the four years since her registration has been exemplary.'
Three Education Trust Awards were also presented to Nelson consultant dietitian Annette Nistor; Ruth Newsome-White,
dietitian specializing in older persons' health with the Canterbury District Health Board; and to Kaye Dennison,
dietitian with Middlemore Hospital's community based rehabilitation team.
ENDS