The Grain Foods Foundation announced the addition of Registered Dietitian and Certified Diabetes Educator Angela Ginn-Meadow to its Scientific Advisory Board. Ginn-Meadow brings to the position her expertise in diabetes and endocrine disorders along with her experience helping people make healthier choices in their everyday lives. In this role, she will help shape the Foundation’s programming to showcase the health benefits of grain-based foods and create meaningful education initiatives to address one of the worst health crises in America: diabetes.

With more than 29 million Americans diagnosed with diabetes and 86 million more classified as pre-diabetic, the country is at both a health and economic tipping point. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as many as one in three U.S. adults could have diabetes by 2050; further burdening our healthcare system, which already estimates that diabetes and prediabetes cost more than $322 billion in medical treatment (or one of every five healthcare dollars in the U.S.) each year. Despite these staggering statistics, type 2 diabetes is a disease that can be managed and prevented through diet and behavioral changes.

“Angela’s deep understanding of diabetes from both a clinical and societal standpoint, as well as her understanding of how to effectively communicate the benefits of healthy eating patterns, is the perfect skill set to help us address one of the country’s biggest health problems,” said Christine Cochran, Executive Director of the Grain Foods Foundation. “Her wealth of experience is a valuable resource and will assist our efforts to advocate and educate on the importance of balance in the diet.”

Passionate about food and helping people make choices to improve their health, Ginn-Meadow currently serves as the Senior Education Coordinator at the University of Maryland’s Center for Diabetes and Endocrinology, where she leads programming and counsels patients on treating and managing diabetes, as well as other endocrine disorders. She is the owner of Real Talk Real Food and develops nutrition education programs focused on disease prevention. In addition to her work with diabetes, Ginn-Meadow is a change agent in local governments, serving on the Local Health Coalition for Baltimore County Maryland to promote healthful eating and physical activity, and developed wellness initiatives that have impacted communities nation-wide. Over the years she has participated in the State Health Improvement Plan for Diabetes Prevention Efforts for the state of Maryland, which aims to improve the health outcomes for individuals and families managing diabetes. She currently serves as a media spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

“As a diabetes nutrition expert, I’m aware there are millions of Americans affected by diabetes and prevention is key for the millions currently at risk for developing the disease,” said Ginn-Meadow. “Research has shown whole grains and whole grain products may protect against diabetes and, by joining the Grain Foods Foundation Scientific Advisory Board, I am excited to have the opportunity to educate and increase awareness of the benefits of grain foods and the impact on the diabetes community.”

Angela Ginn-Meadow, RD, LDN, CDE, joins the Grain Foods Foundation’s Scientific Advisory Board following the retirement of Marion Franz, MS, RD, CDE, who has served since 2010. She joins an esteemed group of experts:

Glenn Gaesser, PhD (Chairman), Professor of Exercise Science and Health Promotion and Director of the Healthy Lifestyles Research Center at Arizona State University;

Shelley Case, RD, celiac nutrition expert and author of Gluten-Free Diet: A Comprehensive Resource Guide;

Dyan Hes, MD, owner and medical director of Gramercy Pediatrics in New York City;

Sylvia Melendez-Klinger, DBA, MS, RD, LDN, founder of Hispanic Food Communications;

Richard D. Mattes, MPH, PhD, RD, Distinguished Professor of Nutrition Science at Purdue University;

Julie Miller Jones, PhD, LN, CNS, Professor Emeritus at St. Catherine University;

Suzanne Steinbaum, DO, attending cardiologist and Director of Women and Heart Disease, Lenox Hill Hospital; and

Bruce Young, MD, Silverman Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at New York University School of Medicine.

To learn more about the Grain Foods Foundation or to read recent articles from the Scientific Advisory Board, please visit grainfoodsfoundation.org.