Dietetic Association Vying for Monopoly

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 These are the folks that reiterate conventional, out of date “nutrition science” that is used to formulate institutional diets  — like the wonderful food in the hospitals, nursing homes and the very nutritious school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

Sources:

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This post is linked to: Fun With Food Friday, Monday Mania, Weekend Carnival, Tuesday Night Supper Club, Traditional Tuesday Blog Hop, Grain-Free Tuesday, What’s on the Menu, Real Food Wednesdsay, Healthy 2Day Wednesday, Foodie Wednesday, Full Plate Thursday, Simple Lives Thursday, Pennywise Platter, Creative Juice Thursday


  • http://thecottageonpilgrimsfarm.blogspot.com jean

    Sigh. People (if only they would educate themselves on these things) could really change this kind of nonsense by the corporations with their pocketbooks.

  • http://realfoodforager.com Jill

    Hi Jean,
    Thanks for your comments.

  • Kelli

    I’ve read this before on ANH site and it still angers me. The ADA knows nothing about real nutrition.

  • http://realfoodforager.com Jill

    HI Kelli,
    It really concerns me as a Certified Clinical Nutritionist in NY. New York loves to make it difficult to practice anything.

  • http://mrsedsresearchandrecipes.blogspot.com Tracee

    Wow, I had no idea there was a difference between a nutritionist and a registered diatician. I am glad you posted this. Also, I think now that more people are disatisfied with the mainstream in general and looking elsewhere, the mainstream is getting threatened and seeking to get rid of the competition, showing that it is all about big profits (nothing wrong with big profit, but not when it’s backed up by tyranny).

  • Beth

    Jill, thank you for bringing this to my attention. As someone who is following my passion and pursuing a midlife career change to holistic nutrition, this situation is incredibly alarming. It is truly sinister that the ADA has quietly introduced legislation in over 40 states with the not-so-hidden intention to make their industrial food pyramid driven, processed food oriented agenda the law of the land and push natural health nutritionists out of business.

    Everyone in those 40+ states needs to contact their state legislators asap.

    How do we sound the alarm even louder?

  • http://realfoodforager.com Jill

    HI Tracee,
    Thanks for your comments. Please share this with all your friends and any nutritionists of any background — we are all threatened by this. Call your legislators and find out who is voting for this and voice your concern.

  • http://realfoodforager.com Jill

    Hi Beth,
    Thanks for your comments. This definitely does pertain to you if you are getting any kind of nutrition certification. Please share this with all your friends and any nutritionists of any background — we are all threatened by this. Call your legislators and find out who is voting for this and voice your concern. Tell them to vote against it!

  • http://day2dayjoys.blogspot.com/2011/05/read-ingredients.html Rachel

    A lot of the time it seems like it’s always about money and control. Thanks for linking up with Healthy 2day Wednesdays!

  • http://realfoodforager.com Jill

    Hi Rachel,
    Ain’t that the truth!

  • Dana

    As a registered dietitian, I feel the need to defend my profession.
    You state “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.” But that is what a registered dietitian is!

    I agree that there should be the ability for non-RD to become licensed. But there clearly needs to be an educational standard for someone to practice in a health profession. If a non-RD wants to be taken seriously, then they need to be educated. Alternative education on non-traditional nutrition is fine by me, but they shouldn’t be considered to be at the same level as a RD.

    No standards=danger to patients.

  • http://realfoodforager.com Jill

    Hi Dana,
    Thank you for your comments. I agree with you 100%. There is a clear need for educational standards in order for someone to call themselves a “nutritionist”. My gripe is that there are extremely educated people in alternative or integrative nutrition (Masters and PhD’s) and these people as well as others with other equally high degrees should not be lumped together with RD’s. The training is totally different and for different purposes.

    But my main concern is that the Dietetic Association is trying to take over complete control of all these different factions of nutrition and the ADA is supported by the very food industry tycoons that alternative nutritionists decry.

    There needs to be two separate agencies run by the respective groups.

  • http://joshealthcorner.blogspot.com/ Jo at Jo’s Health Corner

    This is so insane. My husband and I are in the middle of building up our holistic consultation business and it is not very promising what is going on. Thanks for sharing..

  • http://realfoodforager.com Jill

    Hi Jo Jo,
    What state are you in? Do you already have some kind of certification?

  • http://realfoodforager.com/2011/11/action-alert-nutritionists-need-your-help/ Action Alert: Nutritionists Need Your Help — Real Food Forager

    [...] November 29, 2011. Leave a comment. stLight.options({ publisher:'12345' }); .st_sharethis_hcount {position:relative;top:-5px;} Tweet By now, you may have heard about the Dietician Licensing bill that has been proposed in New York(S.3556/A.5666).  This is a very dangerous piece of legislation that may easily be voted in, because most legislators do not realize the full impact of the bill. It is being introduced in many states other than New York as the American Dietetic Association is trying to take over all nutrition certifications and all aspects of nutritional counseling including experts with master’s degrees and doctorates. Read about the ADA’s monopoly crusade here. [...]