Listers, I feel kind of like a kid writing a book report, but thought you might enjoy a look at the ADA (American Dietetic Association) Conference being held here in Denver and where I spent half of my day. The first thing I noticed? Hundreds of Equal bags. That's right, the artificial sweetener Equal. Monsanto handed out hundreds of Equal shoulder bags to conference attendees, 99.9% of whom were women, by the way. They were a conference sponsor. As I write for a publication in addition to the proverbial 'day job', I was able to obtain press credentials and go in the press room. On the snack bar? Blueberry muffins, margarine, breakfast cereal, skim milk and sugar-loaded low-fat yogurt. Oh, and a fruit plate. It was literally standing-room only in the Ornish/Atkins debate. If I learned one important thing, it is this; the USDA's Dr. Eileen Kennedy is in bed (figuratively, of course) with Ornish. She might as well tatoo his name on her forhead. She is the one in charge of the upcoming USDA study on low-carb vs. low-fat diets, tentatively titled "Health & Nutrition Effects of Popular Diets". In the debate, she was arguably unbiased. In the news conference that followed, however, she nodded in agreement with everything Ornish said and said she would never advise a friend or loved one to go on a low-carb diet. She touted the health benefits of the USDA food pyramid. It would take a long time to document everything she said in support of a grain-based diet, but believe me, that's her modus operandi. Her basic conclusion is that "weight loss is independent of dietary composition" (her words). Translation; it's the calories, stupid. However, a few sentences later, she admitted that "people who 'self-select' low-carb diets tend to reduce energy intake"(her words). This literally means they eat less calories. Have you done the math yet? She admitted more than once that studies have shown the benefits of a meat-based diet (lower triglycerides, for one) and that people who use them eat fewer calories, overall, than those who don't. Yet she endorsed AHA dietary guidelines which tout the benefits of high complex carb intake. Do with it what you wish. She also said low-carb diets are not a trend; they were popular as far back as the 1960s. Try not to laugh too hard. We all know it; a meat-based diet is the oldest 'fad' in human history. In the end, I guess Kennedy just made my job easier. Dori Zook