LEBANESE ASSOCIATION FOR NUTRITION AND FOOD SCIENCES (LANFS)
Address
Department of Nutrition and Food Sciences
Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences
American University of Beirut
P.O. Box: 11-0236
Riad Solh, Beirut 1107-2020, Lebanon
Phone: 961-1-374374 ext: 4540/ 4541
Fax: 961-1-744460
Email:lanfs2000@yahoo.com
Website:www.lebanondiet.org
Year Established:1970 and revived its activities in 1993
Numbers of Member:450 active members
Executive Council
President: Dr. Nahla Hwalla
Vice President: Mrs. Huda Ardakani Maamari
Secretary: Mrs. Nadine Mahboub
Treasurer: Mrs. Abir Barhoumi
Accountant: Dr. Omar Obeid
Public Relations: Mrs. Sawasan Wazzan
Activities
A large segment of the Association’s work focuses on raising awareness of the Lebanese public on healthy nutritional behavior. This goal is being successfully achieved through several conferences, exhibitions and sessions directed to the public as well as to the scientific communities in Lebanon and the region.
The Associtaion constantly provides direction for quality dietetic practice and nutrition education. It ensures continuous updates for its members through seminars and scientific conference. The Association is continously participating in international and regional meetings held on nutrition and food sciences and promoting the scientific role of Lebanon in these sectors. In addition, the Association offers consultancy to governmental and private institutions on Nutrition and Food Sciences.
LANFS is involved in conducting community based nutrition and food science research and dessiminating the results through seminars and conferences to its members and for the public.
In the recent years, LANFS conducted a number of local, regional, and international conferences which includes the following:
Conferences on Evaluation and Treatment of High Blood Cholesterol, along with a Nutrition and Food Exhibit.
Conference entitled Obesity.
International conference entitled Nutrition in Health and Disease, along with a Nutrition and Food Exhibit.
Conference on Sports and Medicine.
Conference on Lebanese Nutritional Problems.
International conference entitled Nutrition 97, along with a Nutrition and Food Exhibit.
Conference on Women Nutrition: Problems and Solutions.
Conference on Diet and Health.
Conference on Breakfast: Diet and your Health
Conference on Dietary Fats and oils,along with Nutrition and food exhibition.
A regional conference entitled “Nutrition and Optimum Health”, along with Nutrition and food exhibition.
Conference on Maternal and Infant Nutrition
In addition, the Reward with Fruits Campaign in collaboration with the Ministry of Social Affairs (MOSA) and Pharmaton Bohringer drug company 2006.
A four-day international Nutrition and Optimum Health Conference. The conference attracted participants from throughout the region including the WHO regional advisor for Nutrition at the Eastern Mediterranean Office.
Future Projects
LANFS will be conducting a four-day training course on Child Growth Assessment supported by WHO. The course will target dietitians working in Lebanon. Training dietitians will promote their professional skills and facilitate identification of children with /or at risk of nutritional problems such as stunting wasting, or obesity. Trained staff shall make up the manpower to train other health professionals in the future.
In addition, an international conference is palnned to be held on October 24, 2009 on the “Current Challenges in Adolescent and Child Nutrition”. The conference will address topics related to physiological and psychological determinants of eating, eating disorders, obesity, malnutrition, sports nutrition, dietary management and optimal nutrition for children & adolescents.
Members
The members are nutrition and food science graduates from Lebanese and International Universities and active professionals in various sectors: hospitals, health care and sport center facilities, private clinics, pharmaceutical industries, food industries, educational institutions and universities, food service institutions, governmental and non-governmental institutions and media.
Our members serve the community in several health related areas including: clinical nutrition and dietetics, food service management, community nutrition , nutrition consultancy, food production and quality control, marketing of nutrition-related products, teaching and research.
Legislation of Dietetics Practice
LANFS have put forth great effort in the past years to achieve finally the legislation of dietetic practice. The legislation set policies that orders and organizes practice of the profession basically by restricting practice by non- professionals. This legistlation recommends a colloquium exam to assess qualifications of applicant practitioners and requires high standing education and practical experience for practitioners.
LANFS is currently working in establishing the syndicate for Dieticians to protect the profession of dietetics and and role of dieticians in Lebanon.
Affilations
Through its projects, LANFS has provided a platform for training and information sharing receiving support from governmental bodies, non-governemental institutions, and the private sector such as the Ministry of Public Health and WHO. In addition, LANFS is an adhering body of the International Union of Nutritional Sciences (IUNS).
update:2009/08/13
