AND and Their High Carb Diet

I knew this day would come and I would be asked why I was so against the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND). This question came from a Certified Diabetes Educator (CDE) and I was surprised by her sincerity. She said she was considering additional schooling to add the title RD to her list. Because of this I attempted to be reasonable and not over the top about my dislike for members of AND and still encourage her to find another profession to study.

These are the points I raised:

Members of AND, in general, are shills for big food.

Members of AND promote high carb low fat meals and set meal carb consumption too high.

Members of AND are working to become the only source of nutrition and criminalize people with more nutrition education.

Many members of AND are also CDEs and when they are to teach as a CDE, they switch to teaching nutrition.

Members of AND are intolerant of diabetes coaches, nutritionists with a Masters degree or a PhD.

Members of AND feel that all people with type 2 diabetes need to do is increase the dosage of a medication or add more medications.

The CDE said she had heard many of these things and know they switch from teaching topics for CDEs to nutrition because this is what they are directed to do.

I explained that our support group has a great relationship with our insurance companies and report this every time to prevent them from being paid for non-CDE topics. Whenever we have to deal with dual titled CDEs and RDs, we are very careful about what is taught. When they switch, we walk out and report to our insurance company to prevent them being paid for switching.

I then asked her why she did not want to become a nurse. She said that she had thought about it, but was not sure she could. I said that many hospitals have full time CDEs working for them as RNs. I told her that I had a cousin being paid to take courses for becoming a CDE at a hospital as by the end of last year, both RN, CDEs were retiring. She seemed interested for a few minutes, but decided she did not want to become a RN. I reminded her that not all RNs are required to be on the floor, because my cousin was a surgical specialist and this was why the hospital wanted her to become a CDE.

I also suggested that some hospitals may reimburse costs to become a RN. I said then you would be obligated to that hospital for several years. She commented that was not something she wanted, as she liked the idea of being able to move when she felt like it.

Because I knew she would probably become a dual title RD/CDE, I ended my conversation, excused myself, and left.