Manuel Villacorta is a registered dietitian (RD) and certified specialist is sports dietetics (CSSD) with more than 16 years of experience. He was recently appointed national media spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association, which identifies him as one of the United States’ leading weight loss and nutrition experts. Villacorta is the owner of San Francisco-based private practice MV Nutrition, the recipient of two consecutive ‘‘Best Bay Area Dietitian’’ awards (2009 and 2010) from the San Francisco Chronicle and Citysearch, and the creator of the Eating Free™ weight management program. Villacorta also developed MV Professional Nutrition (a software suite designed to assist RDs with their own private practices) and created www.eatingfree.com (an international, Internet-based weight loss and weight management program).
Villacorta is a compelling, charismatic communicator-----a public speaker, who is often praised for making audiences feel, heard, motivated, and engaged. His warm, approachable style, alongside his strong bilingual proficiency in both English and Spanish, have made him an in-demand health and nutrition expert on both local and national television and radio, and in articles in print publications and online. Villacorta worked closely with Dr. Nancy L. Snyderman, chief medical editor of NBC News, to provide expert nutrition advice on a number of topics for the BeWell network. He is often invited to speak at annual state and national conventions such as that of The California Women, Infant & Children’s (WIC) Program (where he served as a motivational speaker addressing positive nutritional habits for WIC employees), The Oregon Dietetic Association (where he was the keynote speaker), and The American Dietetic Association (where he spoke to other dietitian professionals about his successful private practice).
Villacorta has acted as a media representative for food companies such as Foster Farms (one of the largest chicken producers on the West Coast) as well as for such California statewide health campaigns as the ‘‘California Latino 5-A-Day Program’’ and ‘‘Got Milk.’’ Prior to setting up his private practice, Villacorta worked as a public health dietitian for California Children Services and the Prenatal to Three Initiative, where he offered prenatal, infant, and childhood nutrition consulting. He has worked as a clinical dietitian for Kaiser Permanente in San Francisco and has held a faculty position with the School of Nursing at the University of San Francisco.
Villacorta received his bachelor of science in nutrition and physiology metabolism from the University of California, Berkeley, and his master of science in nutrition and food science from San Jose State University. He has been the recipient of numerous prestigious awards for his research, including the Outstanding Master of Science Degree Award from San Jose State University’s Department of Nutrition and Food Science.
Research Abstracts
- Effects of Breastfeeding on Blood Glucose Regulation in Obese Latino Women with a History of Gestational Diabetes
MF Villacorta, MS, RD; C.B. Hollenbeck, PhD; YM, Gutierrez, PhD, RD; L. McProud, PhD, RD. San Jose State University, San Jose & Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA - Effects of Breastfeeding on Dietary Intake and Weight Regulation in Obese Latino Women with a History of Gestational Diabetes
MF Villacorta, MS, RD; C.B. Hollenbeck, PhD; YM, Gutierrez, PhD, RD; L. McProud, PhD, RD. San Jose State University, San Jose & Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA
Awards
- 2004 Outstanding Thesis Award by the College of Applied Sciences and Arts at San Jose State University
- 2004 Outstanding Researcher Award by Graduate Studies and Research at San Jose State University
- 2004 First Place Award Winner in the category of Health, Nutrition and Clinical Science at the 18th annual state wide student research competition among the California State Universities
- 2003 For supporting the enhancement of equity and diversity by the College of Applied Sciences and Arts at San Jose State University
- 2003 Dean’s Award/ Small Research Grants by the College of Applied Sciences and Arts at San Jose State University
- 2003 Circle of Friends Research Assistance Award by the Nutrition and Food Science Department at San Jose State University
- 2003 The Josephine and Frank Morris Scholarship in honor and recognition of fine performance and dietetic internship placement by the Nutrition and Food Science Department at San Jose State University
- 2002 For Scholarly Achievement by the College of Applied Sciences and Arts at San Jose State University
- 2001 Certificate of Achievement for outstanding accomplishments and contributions to San Mateo County Public Health
- 2000 For significant contribution to diversity and equity in the community by San Jose State University