DIET | DETECTIVE^®

The Diet Detective | About

For years, nutrition and public health advocate Charles Stuart Platkin, JD MPH  [Juris Doctor and Master's in Public Health] has been authoring the popular nationally syndicated column “Diet Detective.” Now with the same energy, dedication and enthusiasm, Platkin launched a comprehensive health destination on the web at Dietdetective.com. This site is the online counterpart to the nationally syndicated feature column the “Diet Detective” which appears in more than 165 daily newspapers around the U.S.  The “Diet Detective” is currently the largest circulated nutrition, fitness, and health feature in the country. 

DietDetective.com is a nutrition, fitness and health resource with thousands of original articles on subjects ranging from beginner athletics to in-depth analyses of exercise equipment and from popular low-calorie food choices to informative break downs on nutrients, disease prevention and the importance of a balanced diet.

The site features include:

• A complete archive of the popular “Diet Detective” column by Charles Stuart Platkin. Over 250 feature columns – the equivalent of 6 diet and nutrition books--that have appeared nationally in nearly 200 daily papers.

• Diet Detective Interviews: Among many original features of Dietdetective.com are the personal profiles of the leading health experts including chefs, athletes, trainers, authors and more. These interviews / profiles answer the questions readers want to know about the specific trials, tribulations, and techniques that have led these experts, athletes and celebrities to their individual success.

• Healthy Living Channels featuring information on cooking & nutrition; walking & hiking; yoga & mind-body; cycling; diet & weight loss; golf & tennis; running; nutrition & health; snow sports; strength training; swimming; and diabetes management. (equivalent of more than 10 books on nutrition, fitness and health)

• Dietdetective.com features additional expert columnists probing each aspect of healthy living and fitness (e.g., Judith Wurtman PhD , a Research Scientist at MIT, and co-director of ADARA Weight Management Services. ; Mieke Scripps MPT, DPT, an orthopedic physical therapist for the Miami City Ballet. and many more.)

Support for DietDetective.com is provided through advertising sponsorship, private, non-commercials sources, and the non-commercial Institute for Nutrition and Behavioral Science. There are no other commercial or non-commercial organizations that have contributed funding, services or material for the site.

Charles Stuart Platkin, JD, MPH

Founder and Editor-and-Chief

CHARLES STUART PLATKIN JD, MPH [Juris Doctor and Master's in Public Health] is one of the country's leading nutrition and public health advocates, whose syndicated nutrition and fitness column appears in more than 165 daily newspapers nationally, including the Miami Herald, the Seattle Times, The Buffalo News, the Honolulu Advertiser, Rochester Democrat and Chronicle, The State, The Fort Worth Star Telegraph, Omaha World Herald and the Richmond Times-Dispatch. He is the founder and director of The Institute for Nutrition & Behavioral Sciences, a non-profit organization that conducts obesity-related research and designs public health programs.

Platkin has been quoted as a weight loss/nutrition expert in numerous publications, including USA Today, the Los Angeles Times, the Chicago Tribune, Time, Newsweek, Ladies Home Journal, Men's Health, Shape, and Fitness. He has also appeared on NBC's The Today Show, CNN, CNBC, CBS's The Early Show, the BBC, and others. He is a member of the American Society for Nutritional Sciences, the American Obesity Association, the North American Association for the Study of Obesity, the National Strength and Conditioning Association, and the American Council on Exercise. He received his undergraduate degree from Cornell University, a law degree from Fordham University, and a Masters in Public Health from Florida International University. He is also a certified personal trainer and is currently pursuing his PhD in public health (2007).

Platkin is also the founder of Integrated Wellness Solutions, which designs health interventions combining behavioral print marketing and a sophisticated online software program that integrates the latest scientific and behavioral nutrition research. The program is used by insurance companies, pharmaceutical companies, and other large corporations. His first book, "Breaking the Pattern" was a bestseller; it has been used by addiction clinics to assist patients with resolving drug and alcohol-related issues and more than 20 universities around the country as a text to teach behavioral change techniques to nutrition and dietetic counseling students. His latest book is The Diet Detective's Count Down.

JUDY KERN was an in-house editor at major trade publishers for more than 25 years. During that time she worked with best-selling authors of both fiction and nonfiction as well as award-winning chefs and food writers. For the past several years she has been a freelance editor, book doctor, and writer working with authors mainly in the fields of food, nutrition and health, popular psychology, spirituality, and self-actualization. She is a member of the Author’s Guild, the James Beard Society, and the International Association of Culinary Professionals.  

Jose Antonio Vargas Alvarado, BA
Technology Engineer and Designer

JOSE ANTONIO VARGAS ALVARADO, BA graduated with honors from Universidad Latinoamericana de Ciencia y Tecnología (ULACIT) in March of 1999 with a BA in Information Engineering and Computer Science. He is proficient with java technology for general and web oriented development (JSP, servlets, filters, email and Struts based web applications) on Tomcat web servers and servlet containers, HTML, CSS, JavaScript and SQL for PostgreSQL and Oracle databases. And has a functional knowledge of both Windows and Linux. He enjoys movies, computer games, and reading about new technology. He relaxes by tending a flower and vegetable garden and he can tear it up proper style on the dance floor. Vargas joined the Integrated Wellness Solutions and The Diet Detective team in January 2004

Christine Giberson
Graphic Designer

CHRISTINE GIBERSON, BA graduated from Loyola College in Maryland in 2002 with a BA in Communications. She then attended University of Maryland, Baltimore County, from which she graduated in 2005 with a second BA in Graphic Design. She now lives in New York City where she pursues design full-time. Christine has been with Integrated Wellness Solutions since January 2006.

Kelly S Frindell, MPH
Health and Research Consultant

KELLY S FRINDELL, MPH graduated with honors from Trinity University with a BA in Psychology and received a Master’s in Public Health from Florida International University.  She has worked in various research laboratories, including Trinity University, the University of Miami, and the Ohio State University.  Frindell was a health educator at local high schools for several years and taught students about topics such as nutrition, fitness, and hypertension.  She has also worked as a food and quality assurance evaluator for some of the top restaurants in the country.  She is a member of the American Public Health Association.  A former collegiate athlete, Frindell is currently an active Masters swimmer and runner.

Together, the Diet Detective columnists probe each aspect of healthy living and fitness.

The team includes:

JUDITH WURTMAN, PhD [Doctor of Philosophy] is a Research Scientist at MIT, the founder and director of Harvard University's TRIAD Weight Management Center and a co-founder of Back Bay Scientific. Wurtman received her PhD in cell biology from MIT and took additional training as an NIH Postdoctoral Fellow in nutrition/obesity. She is currently co-director of ADARA Weight Management Services.   http://www.adaracenter.com.

MIEKE SCRIPPS, MPT, DPT [Master's in Physical Therapy and Doctorate in Physical Therapy ] is an orthopedic physical therapist for the Miami City Ballet. She is also the founder of Mieke Mends, a physical therapy consulting firm.

CHRISTINE "CC" CUNNINGHAM, MS, ATC/L, CSCS [Master's of Science,Certified and Licensed Athletic Trainer, Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist] is the owner of performENHANCE sports performance training in Chicago (http://www.performenhance.net).  She is a frequent writer and lecturer on personal training, functional exercise and human performance enhancement.  sHE can be reached at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .

NOLL DANIEL is a registered yoga instructor and has been teaching in New York City since 1987. He is also the founder of Urban Yoga Workout. You can visit his web site at www.nolldaniel.com.

KEN MATTSSON, MS, [Master's of Science] has written and lectured in the personal development field since 1990. In addition to his work as a walking coach and instructor for organizations such as the Cambridge Sports Union, Cambridge Center for Adult Education, and the Leukemia-Lymphoma Society, he also helps people reach their professional goals as a career development consultant with Resonare Consulting (http://www.resonare.com) in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

TERRI CLAPSADDLE, RD, LDN, CDE is a Registered and Licensed Dietitian and a Certified Diabetes Educator  with 15 Years of clinical and wellness experience.  Her current areas of practice are cardiac rehabilitation, diabetes self-management and consulting. She is currently working at The Center for Diabetes Health at Caldwell Health Care System. www.caldwell-mem.org.

VIC BRADEN is a licensed California psychologist and well-known author, sports educator and researcher, cinematographer, videographer and television commentator. If you have a question for him or would like information on Vic Braden's Tennis College around the country, please visit his website Vic Braden or email him at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .

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