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 Karen A. Donato, S.M., R.D., joined the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) in 1986. She has been Coordinator of the Obesity Education Initiative (OEI) in the Institute's Center for the Application of Research Discoveriesl since the Initiative's inception in 1991.
Ms. Donato coordinates the creation and development of obesity and overweight-related educational activities directed to children, youth, and families. The activities are designed to encourage heart-healthy habits that not only have a positive impact on the public health burden of overweight and obesity in communities, but also help to prevent cardiovascular disease later in life. To help ensure an integrated approach to the issues related to weight control, OEI activities also are coordinated with and enhance the activities of the Institute's National High Blood Pressure Education Program (NHBPEP) and National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP).
Ms. Donato served as the Executive Director of the Expert Panel that developed the "Clinical Guidelines on the Identification, Evaluation, and Treatment of Overweight and Obesity in Adults", the first evidence-based Federal guidelines on overweight and obesity. She has developed numerous spin-off products based on the clinical guidelines for health care providers, patients, and the public.
Ms. Donato is the Team Leader for WE CAN! (Ways to Enhance Children's Activity and Nutrition), a national education program designed as a one-stop resource for parents and caregivers interested in practical tools to help children 8-13 years old stay at a healthy weight. Tips and fun activities focus on three critical behaviors: improved food choices, increased physical activity and reduced screen time. The program is a collaboration of four Institutes of the National Institutes of Health (NIH): the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) and the National Cancer Institute (NCI). Ms. Donato received a B.S. degree summa cum laude in foods and nutrition from Marywood College in Scranton, PA in 1975. She received a master of science degree in nutrition from Harvard University's School of Public Health (HSPH) in Boston, MA in 1977. She is an alum of Harvard's Health Lawyers Program. While at HSPH, Ms. Donato served as a research assistant in the Nutrition Department and in the Department of Legal Medicine. She is a member of the American Dietetic Association, NAASO, the Obesity Society, and the American Heart Association.
Ms. Donato authored a book entitled "Keep the Beat: Heart Healthy Recipes," available at http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/heart/other/ktb_recipebk/
Hi-Res Photo (351 KB)
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