When did you decide you wanted to be a physician specializing in nutrition?
As a pediatrician practicing for five years, I had seen hundreds of overweight children with no resources to help them lose weight. Insurance companies don't reimburse time spent counseling patients on weight loss, so pediatricians are unable to give these patients the time and support they require. Parents needed an easy-to-follow guide with detailed instructions about exactly what their child should eat to lose weight. After researching the issue for two years, I left my position as a general pediatrician and wrote Dr. Joanna Dolgoff’s Ideal Weigh, child and adolescent weight management program. I have since opened a practice based on the program and have a 96% weight loss success rate. I am passionate about helping these children. I have personally struggled with weight issues throughout my life, trying both healthy and unhealthy regimens. I want to offer parents a pediatrician-developed program that is both effective and safe. No child should suffer through the physical or emotional pain of being overweight.

What defines your personal style as a nutritionist? Why do people come to see you instead of others?
As a physician, I am able to combine medical and nutritional treatment. I screen all my patients for any medical cause of weight gain and also look for subtle signs of medical problems from the weight gain. I then do an indirect calorimetry breath test in which my patient breathes into a tube and the machine calculates their resting metabolic rate. This then determines the maximum number of calories the child can eat in a day and still lose weight; I am able to tailor the diet plan to the child's own physiology. I have invented a traffic-light based nutrition plan in which I have categorized over a thousand foods into red light, yellow light, and green light categories with appropriate serving sizes based on age group. My program is the only physician-designed, standardized weight loss program for children and teens.

What are the latest trends in the field of nutrition and dietetics?
Trends regarding dieting come and go, but the basics never change. If you want to lose weight, you need to burn more calories than you are taking in. I particularly dislike the current low carb trend (especially for children.) It is not natural to severely restrict any one food group. Humans are supposed to eat a broad array of foods. I also do not like the 'meal bar' trend. Many diets include many processed meal bars and snack bars. I would rather my patients eat more natural foods.

What does your daily diet consist of? Do you practice what you preach?
I eat mostly lean proteins, whole grains, low-fat dairy products, and fruits and vegetables. I do not, however, believe in eliminating food groups or in deprivation of any kind. I have a sweet tooth, so I do allow myself to eat some sweets. I always tell my patients that moderation is the key to a healthy diet. Anything can be included, as long as careful attention is paid to portion size. I make sure to only 'preach' guidelines that I myself can follow.

What are your beverages of choice?
I enjoy water with fresh lime or seltzer with fresh lime.

How do you feel about genetically modified foods?
Ambivalent

If there was one food you could all ban from our diets, what would it be?
Banning foods is never the answer as it only leads to more intense cravings. As I said before, anything can be eaten in moderation. I would, however, like companies to avoid using trans fats in their products due to their unhealthy effects on cholesterol levels.

When you are dining out, what meal choices do you gravitate towards?
I enjoy sushi and other Japanese items because they tend to include very little butter and oil.

Have you noticed a trend in the culinary field towards better nutrition? How are restaurant menus evolving?
I have only noticed minor changes in restaurants. I am pleased that many restaurants are including fruit and salad options with their children's meals, instead of just french fries. Unfortunately, I find that many children do not choose the healthier options, even when they are offered. Children's menus, in general, still consist mainly of pizza, chicken nuggets, hamburgers, grilled cheese, and macaroni and cheese.

What are the most dangerous eating habits common among Americans?
Americans eat ridiculously large portions and often eat until they are completely stuffed. We all need to learn about portion control!

You teach a lot to your clients about nutrition, what have you learned from them?
My patients are constantly telling me about new products that are on the market. They have also taught me a lot about the emotional aspects of being overweight, especially as children.

I want to lose weight, should I take diet pills?
Absolutely not! Diet pills of any kind are not safe.

I am on a diet, what should I eat? What should I avoid?
Eat mostly whole grains, lean proteins, low-fat dairy products, fruits and vegetables. Limit (but don't completely avoid) sweets and high-calorie drinks.

Can vitamins replace the nutrients we are supposed to get from food?
It is always best to get vitamins from their natural food sources. However, if a child is not going to eat the necessary foods, vitamins are a good second choice.

What should I eat to boost my energy level?
Whole grain carbs and lean proteins will keep you full and keep your energy levels high.

If you were to teach us all one good rule about healthy eating what would it be?
Pay attention to portion sizes! Even healthy foods have calories which, when eaten in excess, can lead to weight gain.