EightY management-level male employees participated in a company-sponsored comprehensive that included determination of plasma total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and triglyceride levels and percentage of body fat. After the lipid screening, each employee met with a registered dietitian who explained the results of the lipid analysis and discussed risk factors for coronary heart disease with an emphasis on diet. Seventy employees had a triglyceride level above 5.17 mmol/L and were invited to Participate in a nutrition education program. Thirty-three (mean age = 44 years) chose to participate (intervention group); the other 37 (mean age = 35 years) served as controls (control group). Thus, the design of the study was not random. All subjects completed 3-day dietary records before and after the nutrition education program. Nutrition intervention consisted of (a) individualized instruction about the step 1 diet; (b) group sessions (1 hour every 3 months) on eating out, dietary fiber, and maintaining heart healthy behaviors; and (c) individualized follow-up by telephone (one call Per month). The results of the year-long program revealed that men in the intervention group decreased dietary intake of energy (2,546 +/- 162 kcal to 2,246 +/- 125 kcal) and cholesterol (444 +/- 5.3 mg to 304 +/- 1.6 mg) and percentage of energy from total fat (38 +/- 3.4% to 31 +/- 2.6%) and protein (24 +/- 3.5% to 20 +/- 2.2%). Their consumption of carbohydrate and dietary fiber increased (38 +/- 2. 1% to 45 +/- 2.5% and 8.0 +/- 2.3 g to 23.0 +/- 3.5 g, respectively). Significant reductions in plasma total cholesterol (6.15 +/- 0.17 mmol/L to 5.43 +/- 0.16 mmol/L), triglycerides (1.68 +/- 0.87 MMOl/l to 1.49 +/- 0.67 mmol/L), body weight (86 +/- 2.3 kg to 81 +/- 1.6 kg), and body fat (24 +/- 3.5% to 21 +/- 3.5%) were also observed in the men in the intervention group. The decrease in low-density lipoprotein cholesterol was not significant (4.30 +/- 1.17 mmol/L to 4.00 +/- 1.08 mmol/L). The worksite provides many opportunities for dietetics professionals to conduct nutrition education programs to decrease risk factors associated with coronary heart disease.
