Diet and nutrition are very important aspects of our everyday life, and adults who who spend the majority of their waking time in their workplace are at risk. In fact, two thirds of American adults are considered obese, and it is becoming increasingly necessary for them to have accessible resources and interventions to reduce health risks and maintain healthy lifestyles. Dr. Riva Touger-Decker, Professor and Chair of Nutritional Sciences at Rutgers University School of Health Related Professions, tackles this prevalent yet underestimated problem -- and more -- in her interprofessional, multilevel research. An expert in diet and nutrition, she researches three critical aspects of nutritional science: 1. cardiometabolic outcomes in individuals in workplace; 2. oral health and diseases related to diet; and 3. dietetic education. From a unique and original perspective, Dr. Touger-Decker develops protocols for interventions that will not only help promote wellness and decrease obesity in the workplace, but also revolutionize the way dietitians and dentists administer comprehensive care to patients.

The association between diet and oral health may not come readily apparent, but it is one that is rather intrinsic and important; the mouth is the gateway to food and nutrition, so anything that impacts the integrity of the orofacial region can potentially impact diet and nutritional well being. In collaboration with Tel-Hai Academic College and the Ministry of Health in Israel, Dr. Touger-Decker and her team looked at the impact of education and training of both students and health professionals like dietitians in nutrition focused physical exams (NFPE) of oral cavity and dysphagia screening. The Israel Ministry of Health has now taken the findings from this study and is integrating them into its practice standards. Therefore, Dr. Touger-Decker is not only making a difference in the American workplace, but her influence in the dietetic educational environment is far beyond the US borders, illuminating a field that has been far less traveled.

Current research includes:

• Workplace Wellness Research: For about a decade, Dr. Touger-Decker and her team observed closely the changes of employees who enrolled in the workplace wellness program in cardiometabolic outcomes and health-related quality of life. In a clinical trial performed in 2006-2008, Dr. Touger-Decker found that people who completed the program not only lost weight but had reduced cardiometabolic risk. Dr. Touger-Decker and her team have since taken this intervention and implemented “LIFT UP” -- or Lifestyle Intervention for Total Health University Program -- in 2013, where they enroll overweight or obese employees in a two-year longitudinal weight management study. Integrating diet with physical activity, this study measures the individual’s body composition, cardiometabolic risk factors like glucose, cholesterol, and blood pressure, and physical activity and health-related quality of life over time. Such assessment and ongoing care, Dr. Touger-Decker hopes, will help provide practical resources to employees at work, improving their health and overall quality of life.
• Oral Health and Disease: Our mouth is the gateway to eating and drinking, and impaired sensory and motor functions of our mouth -- whether it be due to cancer, chronic pain, or treatment conditions -- can impact our ability and/or desire to eat, consequently affecting our nutritional well-being and health-related quality of life. In this project, Dr. Touger-Decker looks at eating habits and diet among patients with head and neck cancers or chronic orofacial pain in association with diet and nutrition to improve nutritional well-being of patients and reduce associated comorbid conditions. Following collaborative work with Vanderbilt University, Dr. Touger-Decker is now exploring the coping behaviors of patients in order to better design diet interventions that will help them.
• Dietetic Education: The condition of our orofacial region affects our diet and nutrition, and vice versa. Dr. Touger-Decker’s work in dietetic education and practice aims to prepare more well-rounded health practitioners to provide comprehensive autonomous practice and function as a member of the health care team. Internationally recognized, for almost two decades Dr. Touger-Decker has taught dietitians NFPE and its practices, barriers and limitations in multiple countries including Israel and Japan, and is now developing novel approaches to teach the programs virtually.