The American Dietetic Association (ADA) is sponsoring legislation in over 40 states, at this very moment, that would adversely affect the future of alternative nutritionists. They want to lump all nutritionists with registered dieticians into one licensing scheme.
At first glance this seems a great opportunity for many nutritionists to become licensed. However in order for the existing nutritionist to get this license, they would have to complete a dietician program (that teaches conventional dietetics) in order to practice nutritional therapy. Nutritionists and registered dieticians have completely different philosophical approaches to nutrition therapy, and they should be recognized as such. There needs to be separate boards for nutritionists and dieticians, and separate examination requirements as well for licensure to accurately reflect these differences.
This is outrageous, redundant, unnecessary and clearly a ploy to recruit new students into these costly programs and to control curriculum content. This would apply to any nutritionist with one or two year certifications as well as experts with Masters and PhD degrees.
The ADA is a huge organization made up of registered dieticians. These are the folks that reiterate conventional, out of date “nutrition science” that is used to formulate institutional diets — like the wonderful food in the hospitals, nursing homes and the very nutritious school lunches. That being said, there are some registered dieticians (RD) who have pursued education beyond what they were taught in RD programs and who are aware of more current nutrition concepts.
Let’s not forget the ADA has corporate sponsors such as Cocoa-cola, PepsiCo, General Mills, Kellogg (makers of really nutritious sugary cereals) as well as Mars (candy maker) and Unilever, a multinational corporation that owns many of the world’s consumer product brands.These companies have consistently shown that their interest is in marketing products without regard for nutritional content. Need I say more about where the ADA is coming from?
In contrast to this usual and customary conventional approach, nutritionists are health practitioners with comprehensive knowledge of how nutrition impacts the whole body focusing on metabolism and biochemistry. Nutritionists apply current and evolving concepts in human health and disease to nutritional therapy. Nutritionists work primarily in private practice settings, taking an individual and holistic approach to medicine and concentrating on prevention and treatment of chronic conditions.
Nutritionists offer an alternative approach to health and disease. Many patients are dissatisfied with conventional medicines treatment choices, especially for chronic conditions. Nutritionists from all the different certification agencies are there to take up the slack. These new bills in each state would deny nutritionists their ability to continue to work. Patients would have no choices and no opportunity to receive the cutting edge nutrition information they so deserve.
The Michigan Board of Dietetic and Nutrition has already voted to make the ADA its sole credentialing arm.
Wyoming recently passed a bill (SF0093) creating a board and licensure for dietitians and nutritionists, with the ADA as the credentialing agency.
In California, the Assembly bill AB 575 creates the Dietitians Bureau with an advisory committee made up of dietitians. Under this bill, nutritionists must go through the dietetic program and pass the exam administered by the ADA, in order to practice.
In New Jersey the Assembly bill AB1987 and the Senate bill, S809, is the Dietitian/Nutritionist Licensing Act. This bill creates one State Board of Dietitians/Nutritionists. Additionally, the Senate version requires passing the exam administered by the ADA.
In New York, Assembly bill A.5666 and Senate, S.3556, lumps dieticians and nutritionists together under one title, “Licensed Dietitian/Nutritionist” or “LDN.” This bill creates a joint board with four member from the ADA and three from other nutritional associations, with the ADA the majority.
Clearly, the American Dietetic Association is trying to infiltrate its agenda into every aspect of nutritional therapy. Under the guise of offering a license it is vying for a monopoly of the vast nutritional therapy market. Backed by massive food corporations they can win over unsuspecting legislators. It is up to us, the grassroots to voice our opinions and prevent the destruction of the alternative nutritionists. The American Medical Association overpowered the entire homeopathy profession in the early 1900′s and they virtually disappeared until only recently. Do not let this happen to the nutritionists.
If your state is not listed, please click on the source link below to find out what your state is up to. Please sign the petition that appears and make your voice heard. In addition CALL your legislators!
California residents click here to sign the petition
New Jersey residents click here to sign the petition
New York residents click here to sign the petition
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