The health of the US population has gotten dramatically worse during the last 4-5 decades and reversing that is a matter of the highest priority at a population and personal level. At the top of the list is the health of pregnant women because the entire life of their unborn children is affected by their nutrition while pregnant.  This was the message of Dr. Kent Thornburg, Interim Director of the OHSU’s Moore Institute for Nutrition & Wellness and Dr. David Barker, Director of International Collaborations at the Institute in tonight’s talk at OHSU (pictured below).

Community education and outreach as well as nutrition education for health care professionals are two areas the Institute is focused on, as brought out by questions from the audience.  Women in the workforce have a large role to play in this prevention effort, because so many women work during their pregnancy.  Good nutrition is important for both the women themselves and their unborn child.  Information about healthy eating during pregnancy is available at many sources, such as My Pregnancy Plate.