Celebrity Cook Sunny Anderson Teams Up With Janssen And Crohn's & Colitis Foundation Of America To Launch Educational Campaign
"Get Your Full Course" addresses diet and nutritional considerations related to inflammatory bowel diseases and highlights Sunny's personal story of living with ulcerative colitis
HORSHAM, Pa., Oct. 27, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Janssen Biotech, Inc. and the Crohn's & Colitis Foundation of America (CCFA) announced today the launch of Get Your Full Course, an educational campaign designed to provide resources for people living with inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) on the paired role of nutrition and appropriate therapy in managing IBD.
Sunny Anderson, celebrity cook, television host and ulcerative colitis patient
Laura Wingate, Vice President, Patient & Professional Services for CCFA
Dr. Lindsey Albenberg, gastroenterologist from University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine
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IBD includes the chronic digestive diseases ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn's disease, and affects 1.4 million Americans combined. Get Your Full Course features television host and celebrity cook Sunny Anderson, who is speaking publicly for the first time about her journey with UC.
"Having lived with UC for more than 20 years, I recognize the importance of talking more openly about the disease and educating people with IBD that we don't have to shy away from food because of our disease," said Sunny. "Food is a big part of my life. I am excited about Get Your Full Course and its focus on helping the IBD community learn about foods we can enjoy that are also rich in the nutrients we sometimes lack due to the way the disease affects the intestines."
Sunny's recipes and exclusive cooking demonstrations are featured on www.GetYourFullCourse.com. Alongside Sunny, Dr. Lindsey Albenberg, a gastroenterologist from Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, lends her expert advice and answers common questions for those living with IBD. In addition, visitors to Get Your Full Course are invited to submit a recipe for, or a photo of, a favorite meal as part of a sweepstakes. All entries will be eligible to receive one of several prizes, including a grand prize to meet Sunny at a local CCFA event.
Researchers are working diligently to improve their knowledge of the relationship between diet, nutrition and IBD. They are specifically focused on examining the effect of bacteria in the gut for patients with IBD. Until these studies are complete, Dr. Albenberg encourages patients to have an open, honest conversation with their doctors to identify foods that could trigger flares and identify a diet and treatment plan to best manage their disease.
"IBD is a condition that varies greatly from patient to patient, but the goals of treatment remain consistent – to achieve remission, and once that is accomplished, to maintain remission," said Dr. Albenberg. "When IBD is under control, a patient's diet can be less restricted, so it's important for patients to work closely with their healthcare team to accomplish symptom control and disease remission. Then, patients can slowly reintroduce foods into their diet to ensure a diet rich in vitamins and nutrients."
"CCFA is proud to partner with Janssen Biotech, Inc. on Get Your Full Course to help educate the IBD community on the importance of working closely with your doctor to not only get your symptoms under control with appropriate therapy, but also learn how to make nutritious food choices and maintain a well-balanced, nutrient-rich diet," said Laura Wingate, Vice President, Patient & Professional Services for CCFA. "We hope this initiative helps the IBD community learn that while diet does not cause or cure IBD, it can influence symptoms. By working with a healthcare professional, you can determine the individual diet and treatment approach that is right for you."
About Inflammatory Bowel Diseases (IBD) Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) affect approximately 1.4 million Americans, or 1 in 200 people, with the incidence evenly split between ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn's disease. IBD affects men and women equally and can strike at any age. While both inflammatory bowel diseases have similar symptoms, including diarrhea, abdominal pain, weight loss, and fatigue, Crohn's disease can affect any part of the GI tract, whereas ulcerative colitis is limited to the colon. Although considerable progress has been made in IBD research, investigators do not yet know what causes IBD. There is currently no medical cure for ulcerative colitis or Crohn's disease.
About the Crohn's & Colitis Foundation The Crohn's & Colitis Foundation of America (CCFA) is the largest voluntary non-profit health organization dedicated to finding cures for Inflammatory Bowel Diseases (IBD). CCFA's mission is to cure Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, and to improve the quality of life of children and adults who suffer from these diseases. The Foundation works to fulfill its mission by funding research, providing educational resources for patients and their families, medical professionals, and the public, and furnishing supportive services for those afflicted with IBD. CCFA has funded more than $200 million in research. For more information, visit www.ccfa.org, call 888-694-8872 or email at [email protected].
About Janssen Biotech, Inc. Janssen Biotech, Inc. redefines the standard of care in immunology, oncology, urology, and nephrology. Built upon a rich legacy of innovative firsts, Janssen Biotech has delivered on the promise of new treatments and ways to improve the health of individuals with serious disease. Beyond its innovative medicines, Janssen Biotech is at the forefront of developing education and public policy initiatives to ensure patients and their families, caregivers, advocates, and healthcare professionals have access to the latest treatment information, support services, and quality care. For more information on Janssen Biotech, Inc. or its products, visit www.janssenbiotech.com.
Janssen Biotech is one of the Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies dedicated to addressing and solving some of the most important unmet medical needs in oncology, immunology, neuroscience, infectious diseases and vaccines, cardiovascular and metabolic diseases. Driven by our commitment to patients, we work together to bring innovative ideas, products, services and solutions to people throughout the world. Follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/JanssenUS.
Get Your Full Course is brought to you by Janssen Biotech, Inc., and developed in partnership with Crohn's and Colitis Foundation. Sunny Anderson was compensated for her time and travel in preparing for and participating in the program.
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