This is definitely a two-edged sword
and I have to wonder at the basis for the name change. The American
Dietetic Association (ADA) changed its name to the Academy of
Nutrition and Dietetics (AND) in January 2012. Does this mean that
they now have an organization for teaching nutrition and dietetics?
Or, is this now an organization through which they will enforce their
mafia-style tactics on their members to keep them in line and
preaching their mantras. I suspect all of this and more after
reading this article in forbes dot com.
The article is several pages and points
out a frightening array of changes ahead as they attempt to gain
control of the field of nutrition. They are doing this through
credentialing and state licensure. In the process, people that have
degrees in nutrition and are practicing their profession will no
longer be allowed to under efforts being supported and lobbied for by
the AND. Until they become credentialed under the Commission on
Dietetic Registration, they will be forced to stop what they are
teaching. Under the laws supported in some states, if they do not
stop, they may face jail time and severe financial penalties.
I even have to wonder if they will go
after instructors teaching nutrition in our colleges and
universities. This remains to be determined, but under the laws of a
few states, this may be possible. We do not need nonsense like this
crowding our over worked court system.
What the AND has done in effect is to
prevent the nutritionists from forming their own group and
credentialing organization. They are in effect legally taking over
by bringing this group of people under their control, and
credentialing. If you doubt this, why else would this organization
apply to the US Patent and Trademark Office for a series of
certification marks, a type of trademark related to credentialing,
for a comprehensive array of nutrition-related professional titles,
including:
- Certified Nutrition Associate
- Certified Nutrition Coach
- Certified Nutrition Educator
- Certified Nutrition Manager
- Certified Nutrition Professional
- Registered Nutrition Associate
- Registered Nutrition Coach
- Registered Nutrition Educator
- Registered Nutrition Manager
- Registered Nutrition Professional
The certification mark applications, in
conjunction with the name change, suggest that the AND is attempting
to expand its scope and influence, from its decades-old role as the
industry group for Registered Dietitians, to now encompass the entire
field and professional practice of nutrition.
To quote from the article “The
document specifically bemoans that the word “dietitian” (the
trade group’s decades-old area of coverage and specialty) is
regulated far more heavily than the word “nutritionist”:
Simply put, governments more strictly regulate the work of and
qualifications for dietitians than it does for nutritionists, and
competitors are explicit about their intention to exploit this
dietetics/nutrition distinction. An array of competitors is already
providing would-be clients with personalized health education and
nutritional counseling in growth areas such as prevention and
wellness and in private practice careers. The required and necessary
skill set of RDs competing with these other nutrition professionals
may not necessarily be the same that clinical dietitians [sic], but
RDs cannot cede this expanding market to others who clearly intend
to provide nutrition services. [Emphasis added]”
The document does list in detail the
competitive threat posed by many different types of non-RD
practitioners who give nutrition advice and includes the threats from
nurses, pharmacists, personal trainers, chiropractors, and
naturopaths and homeopaths.
As the author of the article was so
careful to document, “the devil is in the details.” In several
states the then ADA was able to force several qualified nutritionists
out of business because the law was not specific enough for their
profession in allowing for them to dispense nutritional advice as
part of their practice and thus ADA succeeded in forcing them out.
It will be a sad day for nutrition if
this is allowed to run its course and obesity will become even more
of a problem. Plus we will be forced to live closer to USDA
guidelines. If the AND makes further intrusions into the healthcare
system, we may be forced to pay fines for not eating by their
guidelines.
Carefully read what the full article
says and especially take time to read this PDF from the files of the
then ADA, now AND.
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