Welcome to the News Center!

Congratulations to the winner of the 2023 Registered Dietitian Nutritionist Day contest, Jane Guo, MCN, RDN, LD, of Dallas, Texas!

Six Academy members and credentialed practitioners were selected to serve on the 2025-2030 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee, which is comprised of 20 members who are highly qualified nutrition scientists with demonstrated expertise.

The Academy and CDR Nominating Committees are pleased to announce the slate of candidates for the 2023 national ballot.

The Academy makes commitment to support White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition and Health goal of ending hunger and increase healthful eating and physical activity by 2030.

Update: Academy's Efforts Regarding Aetna's Mid-Level Practitioners Policy

RDNs, NDTRs and other Academy members who work in pediatric nutrition, community and public health and in other settings have been actively engaged in mitigating the impact of the infant formula shortages on nutrition security for clients and patients.

A Letter to Members from President Ellen Shanley

The Academy has submitted the names of 25 member experts as nominees to serve on the 2025-2030 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee.

Following concerns expressed by the Academy in a May 31 letter, executives from the insurance company Aetna decided to increase reimbursement and made commitment to improve access to nutrition care provided by RDNs.

The Academy is sharing concerns to Aetna about its recent revision to its Mid-Level Practitioners and Other Qualified Health Care Professionals Payment Policy rthat educed payment to RDNs to 75% of the recognized charge or negotiated fee for covered service for commercial members.

Carrolyn Patterson has been promoted to Vice President of Human Resources Culture and Diversity.

In the coming months, the Academy will transition Food & Nutrition Magazine® content — including feature articles, practice trends, research briefs and app reviews — to a new home on eatrightPRO.org.

The Academy is seeking nominees for the 2025-2030 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee, which conducts rigorous analysis of research questions and is comprised of highly qualified nutrition scientists with demonstrated expertise.

The Academy has reached out to Aetna and to other professions affected by the company's recent policy change.

Academy President (2021-2022) Kevin L. Sauer to appoint members to new groups that reflect content expertise and diverse representation as well as accelerate progress toward achieving the Strategic Plan.

Member profiles in the MyAcademy area of eatrightPRO now have expanded gender options.

The National Clinical Care Commission has released "Report to Congress on Leveraging Federal Programs to Prevent and Control Diabetes and Its Complication."

The Academy facilitates external quality measures and standards collaborations with members.

Two Academy member awards have been renamed to recognize and honor the accomplishments of the award recipients.

Funding to support diversity in the dietetics and nutrition field will help address health inequities for minority communities.

The Diversity and Inclusion Committee has drafted overarching goals for a D&I action plan and is soliciting applications for awards and grants.

Diversity and Inclusion Committee is working with numerous Academy groups and organizational units on the holistic implementation of diversity and inclusion efforts throughout the organization.

Academy President (2020-21) Linda T. Far and Chief Executive Officer Patricia M. Babjak address the organization's commitment to integrity, social responsibility and diversity as core values.

Academy President (2020-21) Linda T. Farr announces Academy plans for the development of an organizational stance to address social injustice and its effects on public health.

Scholarship applications for the 2023-2024 academic year are open through 10 a.m. (Central time) on Tuesday, April 18, 2023.

The 2023 RDN Day Contest entry period ended Wednesday, February 8 at 5 p.m. Central time. A winner will be announced in March during National Nutrition Month®.

Following requests for minor changes in two sections of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Bylaws by ACEND and CDR, Academy members are invited to review changes and submit questions through March 7.

Academy President Ellen R. Shanley and members from the New York area represented the Academy on Tuesday, January 3, to ring Nasdaq’s Closing Bell.

Academy members interested in volunteering for a committee should complete the Opportunities to Serve Application.

Below are the prepared remarks by Academy President Ellen R. Shanley, October 8, at the 2022 Food & Nutrition Conference & Expo® in Orlando, Fla.

Academy President Ellen R. Shanley, MBA, RDN, CND, FAND, extends a personal invitation to all members to attend the 2022 Food & Nutrition Conference & Expo® in Orlando, Fla.

Ellen Shanley encourages Academy members to watch the livestream White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition and Health and join her in a Town Hall on September 29.

The Biden administration has announced September 28, 2002, as the date for White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition and Health.

The National Institutes of Health Office of Nutrition Research will hold a five-day virtual workshop, the Malnutrition in Clinical Settings: Research Gaps and Opportunities Workshop, to address research gaps and opportunities related to malnutrition in clinical settings.

In recognition of National Breastfeeding Month in August, the Academy is highlighting resources for practitioners in lactation care and sharing opportunities for all practitioners to get involved.

Leading up to the White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health, regional listening sessions will provide the White House with Americans' insight and experiences on hunger and diet-related diseases in communities across the country.

Academy announces new opportunities to volunteer as a grant-writing mentor for IDEA Liaisons

The Academy's Council on Future Practice has announced the top two presentations from the thirteenth annual Future Practice Session at FNCE® 2021.

The Academy provided feedback and recommendations to the Advance Notice of Methodological Changes for Calendar Year 2024 for Medicare Advantage Capitation Rates and Part C and Part D Payment Policies.

The Academy continues to support the use of the Nutrition/Dietitian Specialty Measure Set as it is a valuable resource for RDNs to know what quality measures are available for selection for reporting under the Quality performance category.

The Academy highlighted the need for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to fulfill opportunities brought about by the Affordable Care Act to expand equitable access to quality care to all Americans.

On January 30, 2023, President Biden announced plans to end the Public Health Emergency, effective May 11, 2023.

This update focuses on telehealth and Medicare payment provisions in the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023 (the omnibus).

The Academy commends the provisions included in the fiscal year 2023 omnibus, released this week by the 117th U.S. Congress, that support health care and key nutrition security efforts. The Senate’s bill included two Academy priorities: the Providing Urgent Maternal Protections for Nursing Mothers Act and the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act Amendment, will positively impact the lives of pregnant and lactating workers.

The USDA's new Agricultural Science Center of Excellence for Nutrition and Diet for Better Health aims to accelerate research on diet-related chronic diseases, including cancer.

Academy Provides Input, Support for National Institutes of Health’s first draft of the report “Nutrition as Prevention for Improved Cancer Health Outcomes."

The Academy continues assessing and developing recommendations for a potential new interstate professional licensure compact for registered dietitian nutritionists.

The Academy was selected through a competitive grant process for Department of Defense funding to work with the Council of State Governments' National Center for Interstate Compacts on an interstate licensure compact for the dietetics profession.

Recommendations incorporated in the policy include free, healthful school meals, a strengthened national commitment to nutrition research, and diversifying the nutrition workforce.

The Academy believes a transformative Farm Bill should build on the momentum and robust investments included in the Inflation Reduction Act, and other actions taken by the Biden administration.

The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics is saddened to hear of the tragic loss of U.S. Rep. Jackie Walorski (Ind.) and two members of her staff, Emma Thomson and Zachery Potts.

The Academy co-hosted a virtual advocacy day with the Association of Diabetes Care and Education Specialists on two priority issues: the Medical Nutrition Therapy Act and the Expanding Access to Diabetes Self-Management Training Act.

The Academy urged the White House to "acknowledge the fundamental importance of nutrition by committing to actively pursue, implement and fund policies and programs addressing all social determinants of health."

An appeal filed in response to the February 18, 2022, ruling upholding Florida's professional licensure law was denied.

Since the beginning of the COVID-19 public health emergency, many temporary flexibilities to Medicare's telehealth coverage polices would require an act of Congress to make permanent. The first such actions on that front have been taken under the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2022, which was signed into law by President Biden on March 15, 2022.

The FY22 omnibus appropriations bill signed into law by President Biden includes substantial funds for critical nutrition and health programs.

Update on the Academy's ongoing initiatives related to the decision by the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on whether an unlicensed individual’s desire to provide medical counseling implicates free speech rights that override the state of Florida’s ability to require health care professionals to be licensed before practicing.

To equip the Academy and RDNs to support strong telehealth policies at the state and federal levels, the Academy Board has voted for the adoption of a five-part stance on telehealth policy.

This is an update for nutrition and dietetics practitioners on the Academy's work on licensure, particularly in Florida, since the most recent communication on July 28, 2020.

On June 30, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a bill updating the state's Dietetics and Nutrition Practice Act, aligning it more closely with the Academy's Model Practice Act.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a long-awaited bill updating Florida's dietetics licensure law to align it more closely to the Academy's Model Practice Act.

The Academy is gratified that the Florida Senate and House have passed amended legislation that maintains professional competencies of health care practitioners with expertise in nutrition care services.

The Academy supports the efforts to promote balance and to prioritize dignity with individual choice within the WIC food package.

Recently published, this evidence-based practice guideline aims to inform nutrition and exercise practitioners on how they may use existing guidelines for the general population.

Recommendations in this guideline highlight the importance of considering complex contributors to overweight and obesity and individualizing interventions to client-centered goals based on specific needs and preferences and shared decision making.

The Academy's Council on Research Implementation Subcommittee developed the “Implementing Evidence: from Guidelines to Daily Practice” manual.

The Academy's Scientific integrity Principles originally released in 2015 have been updated and highlights the importance of diversity, equity and inclusion as an integral part of scientific integrity.

A new Journal article describes how Academy members can use research resources provided by the Academy and how members can become involved in nutrition and dietetics research.

A systematic review examines the effect of combined nutrition and physical activity interventions delivered to adults in the general population.

A recent report released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that the percentage of children and teens living with obesity jumped by 3 percentage points during the pandemic.

Assistant director of performance nutrition at Texas A&M University, Jonathan Tanguay, MS, RDN, LD, fuels student athletes for peak performance.

Assistant professor and program director Arnetta Fletcher, PhD, RDN, LDN, helps to direct her university's strategic plan to ensure nutrition is a part of expanding programs.

April N. Hackert, MS, RDN, CEDRD, shares her perspective of the impact food has on mental health as a registered dietitian nutritionist and psychiatric clinical researcher.

Lara Field, MS, RD, LDN, shares how her interest in pediatrics and nutrition helped her expand and grow her private practice to also provide services for adults.

Telehealth dietitian Divya Aggarwal, MS, RDN, LD, explains how she helps clients achieve their goals as a health and wellness coach based in Cleveland, Ohio.

Educator Jacqueline R. Berning, PhD, RD, CSSD, shares her story starting out in sports dietetics, building a new center for sports medicine and serving as chair of her university's health science department.

Culture and entrepreneurship drive the work of registered dietitian Dezi Abeyta, RDN, as he builds a business and gives back to the Tucson community.

The director of a didactic program in nutrition and dietetics, Samantha M. Coogan, MS, RDN, CSSD, LD, FAND, creates confidence in her students to become future leaders of the profession.

Florida registered dietitian Kelsee Gomes, MS, RD, CSSD, LDN, CLT, shares how good nutrition inspires college football athletes and helps them prepare for games.

Renal nutrition dietitian Megan Gutierrez, MS, RDN, CSR, LDN, shares her story on giving back in the clinical care setting.

Topacio A. Ortiz, RDN, LMNT, describes her journey from combat medic to working in COVID-19 operations during the pandemic, as well as her passion for nutrition.

Mary Niewinski, MS, RDN, LDN, works to teach future credential practitioners in nutrition and dietetics and oversees a team of registered dietitian nutritionists in clinical nutrition.

Debbie Petitpain, MS, RDN, LDN, wellness director in South Carolina, explains the many facets of her role serving the community and collaborating across the health care team.

Qwamel Hanks, NDTR, works to fight hunger in America through outreach with the School Breakfast Program.

Keiy Murofushi, MS, RD, explains his role in spreading knowledge on the importance of nutrition to create change in one individual at a time.

Registered dietitian nutritionist Cicely Thomas MEd, RDN, LD, shares how she incorporated her personal experiences and love of nutrition into helping communities.

Food scientist Marie Colmerauer, MS, CFS, NDTR, educates students on using tools we all have to make food choices that are not only convenient, but nutritious.

It is estimated that around 1 million Americans have a sesame allergy. Yet, until recently, sesame was not considered to be one of the major food allergens in the United States; labeling of sesame as an allergen on packaged food products was not required until 2023.

Learn about this newly defined eating disorder—how it presents, factors for diagnosis, similarities to and differences from other EDs, and considerations of Scope of Practice and Standards of Professional Practice.

Should my clients increase their fluid intake to compensate for the diuretic effect of caffeine?

Research suggests that consuming seafood that is high in omega-3 fatty acids during pregnancy may result in "better cognitive development and language and communication development in children"

Lead exposure continues to be an environmental health problem for millions of households with children in the United States.

It is well known that sources of calcium and vitamin D are important, but there are other nutrients that can also influence bone health.