During the 2022 – 2023 program year, the University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service hired 40 Family and Consumer Sciences (FCS) agents. Agents brought a diverse background of training and previous experience, with approximately half possessing a nutrition or dietetics background. FCS agents spend a significant amount of time on food and nutrition programming and responding to related clientele questions. As such, FCS agents need to have a solid foundation of basic nutrition principles and confidence in finding reliable information.  

In response to this need, Dr. Courtney Luecking led a team of three Nutrition Specialists from the Department of Dietetics and Human Nutrition (Drs. Heather Norman-Burgdolf, Janet Mullins, and Sandra Bastin) in creating and facilitating foundational training in nutrition. The three-hour training unpacked food and nutrition trends over time, provided tips and practice of distinguishing nutrition fact from fiction, and mapped evidence-based and evidence-informed Extension programs with food and nutrition trends.  

Ninety-six new and seasoned FCS agents attended this training, and 89 agents completed evaluation of the training experience. Using a 5-point scale to rate agreement, with 5 being strongly agree, agents reported that after the training, they identified ways they can link their programming to nutrition trends (4.3), can distinguish trusted resources of nutrition information from misinformation (4.5), and feel confident building out the food and nutrition portion of their Plan of Work (4.1). Nearly all agents (94%) expressed interest in quarterly updates about hot topics in nutrition. In open responses about how Specialists can better support implementation of programs focused on food, nutrition, and health, several agents requested “more basic nutrition information”, “ongoing communication”, and “readily accessible for resources”.  

As a follow-up to agent feedback, a quarterly series for nutrition updates was developed. Dr. Luecking led the first session entitled Challenging the ‘eat less, move more’ story about obesity. The inservice discussed challenges of talking about obesity, acknowledged barriers of measuring obesity, identified changes in energy balance and fat tissue related to obesity, explored factors that contribute to obesity, and examined the range of interventions to prevent and treat obesity. The content of this in-service was adapted from Dr. Luecking’s course about the obesity and food insecurity paradox (DHN 597). Thirty FCS agents participated in the training.  

Word clouds developed at the beginning and end of the training regarding reactions to the word obesity demonstrated shifts from focus on size or health (e.g., overweight, unhealthy, bad, big) to recognition of the complexity of the causes and solutions for obesity (e.g., complex, complicated, multifactorial). Agents accurately identified person-first language and shared opportunities to promote weight inclusivity in their communities and programming through “think(ing) about the language I use when programming and also if my office and meeting spaces accommodate or make people in larger bodies feel comfortable” and “present(ing) diverse individuals in the content I create”. 

This ongoing training sets the foundation for the upcoming Plan of Work period so that over the next five years FCS programming will address external factors that influence nutrition behaviors, empower consumers to navigate their food system, promote healthy relationships with food, and create a weight inclusive environment. Agents are “very excited to be part of Extension working to change the narrative about obesity!” and look forward to learning more and continuing to expand programming about nutrition.