David Rex, RD
Dietitian, Health & Social Care â Childrenâs Services, Highland Council
David Rex is a Specialist Dietitian for Highland Council, working in âHealth & Social Care â Childrenâs Servicesâ.
He has a lead public health role for Food & Health in schools, nurseries and Childrenâs Residential Units; and for over 20 years, has been providing specialist Dietetic advice for children with Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) as well as other conditions affecting mental as well as physical health, wellbeing and performance.
Clinically, he advises on diet and nutrition in relation to childrenâs mood, behaviour and learning; and on how to deal with the selective eating patterns that are so common in children with ASD and related conditions.
He also plays a lead role in health education: he has been heavily involved in the development of the âHigh 5â Health & Wellbeing programme for Highland primary schools, and is a member of the Highland School Meals Stakeholder group.
David also acts as a specialist advisor to the British Dietetic Association (BDA), and has been a member of FAB's Scientific and Professional Advisory Board, as well as a highly valued speaker at numerous FAB events since 2003.
David has a first degree in Chemistry and Food Science, a post graduate Diploma in Nutrition and Dietetics, and a Masters in Food Policy. He has over 30 years experience of the food system, starting as a âTeenage burger flipperâ for a well known fast food chain, and going on to look at food and health from a range of different perspectives, in posts as diverse as: food chemist and technical advisor in the food industry; community and hospital dietitian; and food policy advisor for a Health Authority. He is an advocate for sustainable and socially just food systems, and is passionate about cooking and eating well.
Recent Speaking Events
See FAB's recent webinars with David Rex
Childrenâs Food and Mood - What Works, What Matters
Practical Solutions for Dietary Difficulties in ADHD, Autism and Related Conditions
Most children's diets are "sub-optimal" in nutritional terms - providing an excess of sugar and artificial additives and an unhealthy balance of fats, and lacking in dietary fibre and essential brain nutrients.
What is still largely ignored is the fact that this matters not just for their physical health but also for their mental health and wellbeing.
Feeding Better Mood, Behaviour, Learning and Sleep
How children's diets affect their health, wellbeing and performance - and what parents, professionals and policymakers can do to help.
Although children's diets are recognised as contributing to conditions like obesity, diabetes and other physical health problems, little or no attention is usually paid to the effects of nutrition - what children eat and drink - and how they feel, think and behave.
Selective or 'fussy' eating - a masterclass
David Rex, RD, and Dr Alex Richardson discuss the latest evidence-based research into what shapes childrenâs food preferences â with a focus on the areas of selective (âfussyâ or âpickyâ) eating, and Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID).
Further reading
Free Download:
An Evidence-based, "Common Sense" Approach to the Evaluation of Dietary Interventions in ASD and ADHD by David Rex
