community nutrition: application of nutrition science to promote the public’s health and nutrition

community  nutrition  can  be  defined  as  a coordinated set of actions and services helping people  to  choose  a  healthy  diet  in  terms  of nutritional value and food safety to meet  their physiological needs in any given social context. it encompasses a wide range of strategies and programs based on evidence generated through basic and epidemiological nutrition and food research. the ultimate goal is the prevention of malnutrition and promotion of nutritional and health  situation  of  whole  populations  or population segments, e.g., age/gender groups, occupational groups such as agricultural and industrial workers, etc. the    core    responsibility    of    community nutrition  experts  is  knowledge  translation  ─ translating research results into action. they should, therefore, be knowledgeable in the areas of fundamental  principles  of  nutrition,  have  a strong  background  in epidemiology,and  beskilled in the art and science of communication, policy analysis,  and  leadership.  their  specific professional responsibilities and functions would include assessment of the nutritional status of communities and its determinants; understanding food and nutrition behavior of people; public and community nutrition education; designing, implementing  and  evaluating  community nutrition  intervention  programs;  and  nutrition and nutrition-related services as part of public health services in the national health system. where do community nutrition professionals work/function?  they  can  work  and  perform functions  in  government  agencies  (health centers,   etc.),   nutrition   and   food   assistance programs, schools and nurseries (providing services and food and nutrition education), non- governmental organizations, and mass catering and group feeding centers. in   summary,   based   on   ample   evidence, community   nutrition   is   one   of   the   major strategies for promotion of the public’s health and nutrition and, therefore, should receive adequate attention in national health plans and macro-policies.  in  line  with  this,  universities should design special degree programs for training community and public health nutritionists.