Dr Ellison and Dr Serge Renaud of Lyon, France, were the key scientists
who took part in the US television programme ‘60 Minutes’ in November
1991. Red wine sales in America increased by 40% immediately after
that programme, and the high level of sales has continued. Dr
Ellison appeared again on a follow-up ‘60 Minutes’ segment in
November 1995, emphasising again how moderate alcohol consumption
improves health.
He has also worked with the Oldways Foundation, the Harvard School
of Public Health, and the European office of the World Health
Organization in the development of the ‘Mediterranean Diet Pyramid’,
a new set of dietary guidelines for Americans (See AIM: August/September
1998). The guidelines suggest the use of more grains, vegetables,
fruit, olive oil and wine in the everyday diet. These new recommendations
are making Americans increasingly aware that a largely plant-based
diet, along with moderate wine consumption and regular exercise,
are the key components for a particularly healthy lifestyle.
Dr Ellison has been Chief of the Evans Section of Preventative
Medicine and Epidemiology and Professor of Medicine and Public
Health at Boston University School of Medicine since 1989. With
training in internal medicine, cardiology and epidemiology.
Dr Ellison serves as a senior researcher on The Framingham Study,
a longitudinal study of risk factors for heart disease over 45
years. He is also principal investigator of research studies dealing
with factors in early life that determine dietary and physical
activity habits, and the interaction of genetic and environmental
factors in determining risk of hypertension and heart disease
in families.
In July 1994 Dr Ellison established the Institute on Lifestyle
and Health at Boston University School of Medicine, of which he
is the director. The Institute focuses research on various aspects
of lifestyle, especially the moderate consumption of wine and
other alcohol, that relate to the risk of heart disease, cancer
and other chronic diseases.
