Dr Jenny O'Dea is a dietitian, health and nutrition education researcher and Associate Professor in nutrition and health education in the Faculty of Education and Social Work at the University of Sydney.
Dr O’Dea studied nutrition and dietetics at the University of Sydney and went on to work in nutrition education with the Australian Nutrition Foundation. In 1986 she went to the USA to study for a Masters in Public Health Education at the University Of California, Berkeley and after staying there for 3 years to work on the NHLBI National Growth and Health Study, returned to Australia in 1989 to take up a lecturing position at the University of Sydney.
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She has a PhD in Medicine from Sydney University in which she focused on the prevention of body image problems and eating disorders among children and adolescents using a school-based, self-esteem approach. The promising results of this original research study have since been replicated by several researchers worldwide, paving the way for the implementation of this approach in the prevention of body image problems and eating disorders in young people. This approach is also being used for child obesity treatment and prevention.
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Recent research from Dr O’Dea’s group of collaborative researchers and students includes a national study titled “Youth cultures of eating” and a large national study of 5000 schoolchildren focusing on their eating habits, knowledge beliefs and attitudes about food, weight and health. Research students working with Dr O’Dea have recently completed studies on a number of varied topics including the mothers of 2-6 year old children and their feeding behaviours and perceptions; a 12 month study of child obesity issues in women’s magazines; a study of night eating and food patterns in adolescents; knowledge beliefs and attitudes of nutrition, obesity and eating disorders in trainee teachers and body image issues and the mesomorphic male ideal in men’s health magazines.
In 2002, Dr O’Dea returned from an 18 month sabbatical as a visiting scholar in the USA where she undertook research and lecturing in the Department of Nutritional Sciences at the University of California, Berkeley.
Dr O’Dea is also well known for her contributions to the media and public debate about food, nutrition, body image and health.
She is a long-time advocate of commonsense and a sensible, balanced viewpoint when it comes to food, nutrition and eating. This balanced point of view in regard to child feeding practices is outlined in her new book “Positive Food for Kids”.
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