Cath Lab Digest

Nancy Collins, PhD, RD, LD/N, FAPWCA

  The American Dietetic Association, the world's largest organization of food and nutrition professionals, has officially changed its name to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. The change took effect January 1, 2012. You may wonder why an association would take on the extra expense and possible confusion to change its name, so let me explain the reasons behind ADA’s decision:
    • Protecting the public’s health is the highest priority of the ADA and its members; consumer confusion over who are the real nutrition experts can have negative consequences for people’s health.

   • Although the ADA’s name reflected what registered dietitians (RDs) did in the early part of the 20th century when ADA was founded (“applying nutritional principles to the planning and preparation of foods and regulation of the diet”), the name lacked relevance to the work of RDs in the 21st century, which now is much more related to overall health and wellness with a focus on nutrition.

    • It was believed the organization’s name should include the word “nutrition,” which is well-understood by virtually everyone. In addition, the name should communicate broader concepts of wellness (including prevention of heath conditions) as well as treatment of conditions.

  Many colleagues have inquired why the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics was selected as the new name. One of the definitions of “Academy” is “a society of learned persons organized to advance science.” This describes the organization and its members perfectly and immediately emphasizes the scientific basis of services, advice, and expertise within the areas of treatment and wellness. Adding “nutrition” to the organization’s name better communicates the members’ dedication to improving the nation’s health by translating science into healthy lifestyles for everyone. At the same time, retaining “Dietetics” as part of the organization’s name supports the association’s history as a food and science-based profession. Finally, there are no national organizations in the healthcare field whose name or abbreviation is similar to Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, thereby confusion with other groups is avoided.

  The field of nutrition has changed over this century, and the Association is evolving to meet these needs—as the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.