Journal of the American College of Nutrition
ISSN: 0731-5724 (Print) 1541-1087 (Online) Journal homepage: http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/uacn20
In Memoriam: Mary G. Enig, PhD, MACN Harry G. Preuss MD, MACN & Beverly B. Teter PhD, MACN To cite this article: Harry G. Preuss MD, MACN & Beverly B. Teter PhD, MACN (2014) In Memoriam: Mary G. Enig, PhD, MACN, Journal of the American College of Nutrition, 33:5, 353-353, DOI: 10.1080/07315724.2014.976144 To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/07315724.2014.976144
Published online: 06 Nov 2014.
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Date: 05 November 2015, At: 13:03
Downloaded by [54.251.47.150] at 13:03 05 November 2015
In Memoriam: Mary G. Enig, PhD, MACN
saturated fats rather than trans fats for many of our ills. I believe there were few in the audience of students who fully realized that most government officials and the public did not generally recognize this seminal information at that time. They had just been privy to information that would not be accepted for years to come. The second event occurred a few years back while participating in a National Cholesterol Education Program meeting. During a breakout grouping from the major session, I gave my usual “Yudkin-like” explanation that it was sugar that was our principal dietary enemy not saturated fats. I followed up by stating that the group even had the wrong class of fats to blame for the majority of our woes. Backed by my “Enig-knowledge”, I acquainted the majority of participants to harmful role of trans fats. [John Yudkin, like Mary Enig in her beliefs concerning trans vs. saturated fats, was mocked for years based upon his belief that sugars rather than saturated fats were the primary dietary evil endangering our society]. When I (B.B.T.) met Mary, she was the senior graduate student in the Sampugna/Keeny research group in the Biochemistry Department at the University of Maryland - College Park. We immediately bonded, since we both had school-age children and had returned to college for a PhD. Our research group had obtained a contract with the USDA Food Composition group to analyze food products for what was then called USDA Handbook 8 “Food Composition”. The main component we analyzed was lipids. Drs. Sampugna and Keeney were both well known for their expertise in the field. Because Mary was researching for her dissertation on trans fats, we had many discussions over lunch concerning “pros” but mostly “cons” of trans fats. Suffice it to say, after 3 or 4 months my family stopped eating margarine and went back to butter, which really tasted better anyway. Mary and I regularly travelled to and roomed together at many of the ACN, AOCS, and some Weston A. Price meetings. Mary was a wonderful friend and we never had cross words. She was a very kind, considerate person, and we had many great discussions about children, science, and life. However, when Mary was presenting at meetings and some in the audience or on the stage got testy with her, she defended her ground very strongly and effectively. I had great respect for her approach, since I well knew how strongly she believed that trans fats did have adverse metabolic effects. For example, decreased secretion of milk fat was found in mice, cows, and humans consuming dietary trans fats, a development not appropriate for neonates of any species. Fortunately, Mary lived long enough to see the fruits of her labor with the required labeling of trans fats in foods. Dr. Mary G. Enig will be long remembered for her perseverance and courage to fight for her principles.
A most valuable and respected member of the “ACN family,” Mary G. Enig, PhD, passed away on September 8, 2014. Because of her great contributions in the nutrition field, we believe it is fitting that we pay homage to her life. Indeed, the American College of Nutrition (ACN) as well as the general public owes much gratitude to this great lady. Throughout her career, Mary was an exceptionally active member of the ACN— faithfully attending annual meetings and reviewing for the Journal of the American College of Nutrition (JACN). In 2002, based on her accomplishments in nutrition, she received the highly coveted Master of the American College of Nutrition (MACN) designation. In addition to the ACN, Mary was very active in the Weston A. Price Foundation, a group that promotes nutrition and health advice. She was a founder and board member. She was also a loyal member of the American Oil Chemists’ Society. Dr. Enig attended the University of Maryland - College Park where she initially obtained a Masters Degree and then a PhD in Nutritional Sciences in 1984. In her research, Mary focused on fats and oils. She became a faculty research associate in the Departments of Chemistry and Biochemistry, a position that she held from 1984 through 1991. Working in her field, she became aware of the dangers of trans fats in the food supply. In addition, she believed that the dangers of saturated fats had been markedly over-emphasized. Dr. Enig persevered in matters where the majority would fall by the wayside. Despite malicious objections from numerous fronts, she continued throughout her lifetime to make the general public aware that dietary trans fats, not saturated fats, were the real culprits in the fat/heart disease dynamic and that trans fats need to be controlled as part of attempts to support better health. Using personal reflections (H.G.P.), I remember clearly two events when I think of Mary. The first occurred about 12 years ago. I had been placed in charge of a nutrition course for incoming freshman at the medical school. Of course, I asked my good friend Mary Enig to give a lecture on fats and oils. Mary captivated the audience with a discussion (on what else) the dangers of trans fats and the fact that the public was unaware at that time of these dangers due to an effective campaign to blame
Harry G. Preuss MD, MACN Beverly B. Teter PhD, MACN
Journal of the American College of Nutrition, Vol. 33, No. 5, 353 (2014) C American College of Nutrition Published by Taylor & Francis Group, LLC 353
ISSN: 0731-5724 (Print) 1541-1087 (Online) Journal homepage: http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/uacn20
In Memoriam: Mary G. Enig, PhD, MACN Harry G. Preuss MD, MACN & Beverly B. Teter PhD, MACN To cite this article: Harry G. Preuss MD, MACN & Beverly B. Teter PhD, MACN (2014) In Memoriam: Mary G. Enig, PhD, MACN, Journal of the American College of Nutrition, 33:5, 353-353, DOI: 10.1080/07315724.2014.976144 To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/07315724.2014.976144
Published online: 06 Nov 2014.
Submit your article to this journal
Article views: 99
View related articles
View Crossmark data
Full Terms & Conditions of access and use can be found at http://www.tandfonline.com/action/journalInformation?journalCode=uacn20 Download by: [54.251.47.150]
Date: 05 November 2015, At: 13:03
Downloaded by [54.251.47.150] at 13:03 05 November 2015
In Memoriam: Mary G. Enig, PhD, MACN
saturated fats rather than trans fats for many of our ills. I believe there were few in the audience of students who fully realized that most government officials and the public did not generally recognize this seminal information at that time. They had just been privy to information that would not be accepted for years to come. The second event occurred a few years back while participating in a National Cholesterol Education Program meeting. During a breakout grouping from the major session, I gave my usual “Yudkin-like” explanation that it was sugar that was our principal dietary enemy not saturated fats. I followed up by stating that the group even had the wrong class of fats to blame for the majority of our woes. Backed by my “Enig-knowledge”, I acquainted the majority of participants to harmful role of trans fats. [John Yudkin, like Mary Enig in her beliefs concerning trans vs. saturated fats, was mocked for years based upon his belief that sugars rather than saturated fats were the primary dietary evil endangering our society]. When I (B.B.T.) met Mary, she was the senior graduate student in the Sampugna/Keeny research group in the Biochemistry Department at the University of Maryland - College Park. We immediately bonded, since we both had school-age children and had returned to college for a PhD. Our research group had obtained a contract with the USDA Food Composition group to analyze food products for what was then called USDA Handbook 8 “Food Composition”. The main component we analyzed was lipids. Drs. Sampugna and Keeney were both well known for their expertise in the field. Because Mary was researching for her dissertation on trans fats, we had many discussions over lunch concerning “pros” but mostly “cons” of trans fats. Suffice it to say, after 3 or 4 months my family stopped eating margarine and went back to butter, which really tasted better anyway. Mary and I regularly travelled to and roomed together at many of the ACN, AOCS, and some Weston A. Price meetings. Mary was a wonderful friend and we never had cross words. She was a very kind, considerate person, and we had many great discussions about children, science, and life. However, when Mary was presenting at meetings and some in the audience or on the stage got testy with her, she defended her ground very strongly and effectively. I had great respect for her approach, since I well knew how strongly she believed that trans fats did have adverse metabolic effects. For example, decreased secretion of milk fat was found in mice, cows, and humans consuming dietary trans fats, a development not appropriate for neonates of any species. Fortunately, Mary lived long enough to see the fruits of her labor with the required labeling of trans fats in foods. Dr. Mary G. Enig will be long remembered for her perseverance and courage to fight for her principles.
A most valuable and respected member of the “ACN family,” Mary G. Enig, PhD, passed away on September 8, 2014. Because of her great contributions in the nutrition field, we believe it is fitting that we pay homage to her life. Indeed, the American College of Nutrition (ACN) as well as the general public owes much gratitude to this great lady. Throughout her career, Mary was an exceptionally active member of the ACN— faithfully attending annual meetings and reviewing for the Journal of the American College of Nutrition (JACN). In 2002, based on her accomplishments in nutrition, she received the highly coveted Master of the American College of Nutrition (MACN) designation. In addition to the ACN, Mary was very active in the Weston A. Price Foundation, a group that promotes nutrition and health advice. She was a founder and board member. She was also a loyal member of the American Oil Chemists’ Society. Dr. Enig attended the University of Maryland - College Park where she initially obtained a Masters Degree and then a PhD in Nutritional Sciences in 1984. In her research, Mary focused on fats and oils. She became a faculty research associate in the Departments of Chemistry and Biochemistry, a position that she held from 1984 through 1991. Working in her field, she became aware of the dangers of trans fats in the food supply. In addition, she believed that the dangers of saturated fats had been markedly over-emphasized. Dr. Enig persevered in matters where the majority would fall by the wayside. Despite malicious objections from numerous fronts, she continued throughout her lifetime to make the general public aware that dietary trans fats, not saturated fats, were the real culprits in the fat/heart disease dynamic and that trans fats need to be controlled as part of attempts to support better health. Using personal reflections (H.G.P.), I remember clearly two events when I think of Mary. The first occurred about 12 years ago. I had been placed in charge of a nutrition course for incoming freshman at the medical school. Of course, I asked my good friend Mary Enig to give a lecture on fats and oils. Mary captivated the audience with a discussion (on what else) the dangers of trans fats and the fact that the public was unaware at that time of these dangers due to an effective campaign to blame
Harry G. Preuss MD, MACN Beverly B. Teter PhD, MACN
Journal of the American College of Nutrition, Vol. 33, No. 5, 353 (2014) C American College of Nutrition Published by Taylor & Francis Group, LLC 353
