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Forward2026 Spring Symposium Meal Session: The Vitality Economy: Investing in Functional Nutrition Pays Off Across the Lifespan
What if the goal isn’t just to live longer—but to live better, longer? Vitality span — the years lived not only in good health but with energy, strength, clarity and resilience — is emerging as a powerful new lens to define long-term well-being.
In this session, Katie Brown, EdD, RDN, FAND, FASN, President, National Dairy Council, will explore how food-first approaches help shape the vitality span from the earliest years through healthy aging. Participants will examine how healthy eating patterns, with a spotlight on dairy foods, contribute to brain, bone, gut, and cardiometabolic health— and how this shows up in real life as the ability to stay active, independent and thriving over time. The session will also highlight how dietitians can communicate this emerging concept in ways that resonate with today’s health-conscious consumers.
Learning Objectives
After completing this activity, nutrition professionals will better be able to:
- Discuss the science behind how whole foods, including dairy foods, work together to support health and wellness priorities at every age.
- Describe the "vitality span" framework and the role of nutrient-dense dairy foods in building health across the lifespan.
- Empower nutrition professionals to guide individuals in optimizing their vitality span through food-first strategies that include dairy foods and whole food patterns.
Additional Information
Katie Brown, EdD, RDN, FAND, is President at National Dairy Council, a non-profit dairy nutrition research and education organization founded by U.S. dairy farmers. In this role, Dr. Brown leads NDC’s Scientific, Regulatory and Nutrition Affairs team and serves as a subject matter expert and spokesperson on dairy’s wellness benefits and the responsible production practices of U.S. dairy farmers.
Dr. Brown is a registered dietitian nutritionist and has bachelor’s and master’s degrees in nutrition and a doctorate degree in education. She has been an author of many manuscripts published in peer-reviewed journals and has presented at over 140 national and international professional conferences and is a frequent contributor to popular and trade media.
Katie Brown, EdD, RDN, FAND, has the following disclosures to report: she is an employee of National Dairy Council (NDC). She is a sustaining partner member of the American Society for Nutrition (ASN), a member of the National Academies of Science Roundtable on Obesity Solutions and she serves on the Board of Advocates for the University of Kansas School of Health Professionals and on the Board of Directors for the US-International Dairy Federation (US-IDF).
Disclosures:
Katie Brown, EdD, RDN, FAND, has the following relevant disclosures to report: she is employed by National Dairy Council (NDC), a sustaining partner member of the American Society for Nutrition. She is on the board of advocates for the University of Kansas School of Health Professionals and on the board of directors for the International Dairy Federation, US.
The Vitality Economy: Investing in Functional Nutrition Pays Off Across the Lifespan awards 1.0 CPEU in accordance with the Commission on Dietetic Registration's CPEU Prior Approval Program.
The responsible provider for this activity is National Dairy Council via Dairy Management Inc.
Funding from non-CPE revenue for CPE planning, development, review, and/or presentation has been provided by National Dairy Council.
The Vitality Economy: Investing in Functional Nutrition Pays Off Across the Lifespan awards 1.0 CPEU in accordance with the Commission on Dietetic Registration's CPEU Prior Approval Program.
The responsible provider for this activity is National Dairy Council via Dairy Management Inc.
Funding from non-CPE revenue for CPE planning, development, review, and/or presentation has been provided by National Dairy Council.
Available Credit
- 1.00 CDR