The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, corporate sponsorship and the alternative: dietitians for professional integrity

摘要

The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics ('the Academy'), founded in 1917, is the USA's largest organisation of nutrition professionals.1 It represents >100 000 nutrition professionals, most of them registered dietitians (RDs). The Academy's recent history of food industry ties has resulted in some members publishing 'statements of concern',2 These dietitian-penned accounts shed light on why some dietitians renounced their memberships. Many of these first-person pieces call for sponsorship reform and question whether the Academy's actions align with its mission ('a world where all people thrive through the transformative power of food and nutrition') and vision ('accelerate improvements in global health and well-being through food and nutrition').