Healthify your supermarket choices.
Four Thoughts on the Nutrition Conference that has Just Ended
We’ve concluded a 4 day nutrition and food conference and expo (FNCE 2009) hosted by the American Dietetic Association. For a first time participant, such a convention may seem a bit overwhelming, but it does provide a great opportunity to learn about the current state of affairs in the world of nutrition and food.
Random observations:
1. The people. RDs are probably the nicest bunch of people one can get to know. That makes the participation in the event a real treat.
2. Conflict of Interest. The presence and influence of the food industry was pervasive and worrisome. From the moment one stepped into the conference center, she was greeted with huge signs thanking corporate sponsors such as Coca Cola, Unilever, and Mars. The logos of the sponsors were plastered on each of the swag bags the participants received at registration.
The conference is divided into many simultaneous educational sessions on various nutrition topics, as well as a food expo. Several of the educational sessions were also sponsored by food companies. For example, Coke sponsored a session entitled Children’s Dietary Recommendations:urban myths, parental perceptions, and scientific evidence. Guess what the speaker had to say: Artificial colors are fine, artificial sweeteners are fine, and sugar does not cause obesity.
Especially troubling was the fact that so many young RDs and students participate in the program and are ingrained to accept these conflicts of interest as matter of fact. If the American Dietetic Association stays this course, the public credibility of dietitians as a group will suffer. (See Smart Choices Program as just one example).
3. In moderation. We can’t count the number of time we’ve been told that snack A or drink B should be consumed in moderation. If we hear that word one more time, we’ll just drown somebody in a bucket full of “discretionary” calories. Whenever junk food processors are with their back with the wall, they pull their “it’s in fine in moderation” card. You know what – it’s not.
Here’s why – Each manufacturer of junk food or beverage is vying for the 10% discretionary calories a person can consume in a day. That works out to approximately 150 calories for a growing child. Unfortunately, a can of Coke is XXX. But is little Johnny “discretionating” with just that one can for a whole day? Heck no! What about the morning Sweetened cereal? And the potato chips for lunch? The sugar sweetened lunch milk? The afternoon cookies? And Jello for dessert? There is no moderation because too many manufacturers need to sell us too much crap.
4. State of Emergency. With the rising rate of obesity, one would have expected to feel a heightened sense of urgency at the conference. Perhaps we did not participate in the right lectures and presentations, but the overall atmosphere seemed to be business-as-usual.
That said, FNCE 2009 was a great learning experience and a wonderful opportunity to meet the folks working “in the trenches”. We look forward to next years conference in Boston.
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Every conference is like this…whether it is dietitians,dentists or doctors…someone has to pay for the expensive meeting hall space, free food, handouts etc – would dietitians be willing to pay $1000 or more to attend a conference? Would their employer be willing to foot the bill? Doubtful. All manufacturers are not inherently evil and some really do believe in their products and have the science and nutrition experts behind recipe development. Hopefully our training teaches us to discriminate and decide, using science as our guide, so that we give the best possible advice to our customers/clients.
Thank you Fooducate, for stating the obvious. As a holistically minded RD and a first time FNCE attendee, I was appauled by the same thing you have listed in number 2. I apprecaite and respect the above comment however money, in my opinion, is no excuse. If it takes having a weekend of FNCE online for nationwide RDs and not being sponsored by companies like Coke, so be it. We pride ourselves on grass roots efforts at ADA….we could come up with an answer. I do fear one day losing credibility as the nutrition professionals group.
On a similar note, I was mortified that Monsanto had a booth at FNCE….
Leah you’re right about every conference being sponsored. But where do we draw the line? On a personal level nobody is evil and I’m sure Coke’s CEO does not want kids to become sick or obese. However, his first and foremost responsibility is to increase revenue, quarter after quarter. The ADA’s first and foremost mission is to help Americans eat more healthfully. These 2 goals are sometimes aligned, and many times not. And when they’re not, an inherent conflict of interest occurs.
When prominent nutrition experts serve on boards and committees of “Smart Choices” that recommend Froot Loops, what do young professionals starting out in the dietetics field learn?
Leah,
I’m so happy that you enjoyed your first time conference..I’ll never forget attending mine right before my RD exam, and was thrilled to return when I became one the next year…over 14 years ago!
Yes, we are a VERY nice bunch. I have been fortunate (especially as an ADA spokesperson for the last 5 years) to get to know amazing, wonderful, supportive and helpful not to mention smart and savvy dietitians over the years. Some of my best friends in the world are RDs and we all do different things and support one another wholeheartedly. I am extremely lucky, both professionally and personally, to call many RDs friends.
I can assure you that obesity prevention and treatment are at the heart of many ADA efforts. Please take a look at eatright.org, the position paper on weight management, and the evidence analysis library which covers weight management extensively. I can also tell you that I have attended many amazing sessions that address the obesity issue, and that this issue is the closest to my heart especially when it relates to children, and I have always felt ADA has addressed this issue appropriately.
As for the industry issue–I can tell you as an ADA spokesperson that I have never felt adversely influenced or pressured to support or push particular products or services; over the years, we have all been introduced to new products; we have also been briefed on new and exciting research by top researchers. I believe that many of us who have been in dietetics for a while have learned to ask hard questions, observe and look at everything with a critical eye, and make our own decisions about how we feel about certain products and their role if any in a healthful diet.
I, like many others I’m sure, appreciate your comments and hope you will attend future conferences. I think they are a wonderful opportunity to learn and see what’s out there, to know the specifics about products and learn about the latest research that can help us help consumers make more healthful food and fitness and lifestyle choices. Good luck and thanks for sharing your opinion–and please do so with ADA as well, as they encourage and appreciate any and all feedback!
Glad you liked your first meeting and I agree, RDs are some of the nicest people to know! And also, thank you for expressing your concerns. I’d like to address some of them, if I may.
Since this was your first meeting and this was my 20th, I can assure you it was NOT business as usual. This meeting announced important language as part of the health care reform bill calling for the services of the registered dietitian for both prevention and treatment of disease. It also announced a record breaking 70,000 membership!
The exhibit floor also has changed over the years with increased organic, local, gluten-free offerings and “real food” commodities being represented.
As the sisters of St. Francis once said, “No Money, No Mission”. And it takes lots of money to fund science and the quality conferences that dietitians expect from ADA. And I agree with Leah, our education should be make us able to discern what is best for us and our patients.
But our education doesn’t always steer us in the right direction for making best personal choices, either. We are no different than the consumers we teach. And yes, many dietitians, like me, like their “junk” food.
I saw lots of RDs of all shapes and sizes loading up on junk foods offered on the exhibit floor, stuffing faces and bags with free samples and going back for more (read Mindless Eating – there was lots of it going on!). Guess what – I was one of them! I gained a few pounds over four days. Though I walked a lot, I stood and sat more and didn’t exercise once. I paid for it but I knew what I was doing and I enjoyed it.
I don’t blame the food or the companies that made them for what happened to me. I define my health, not them. Now, I have licked my lips and am back on my healthy program. That’s real life and luckily I know how to get back on the horse and get my health back on track. THAT is what consumers really need to learn – how to achieve balance and deal with real life situations without resorting to drastic diets that take away all of their favorite foods. And this won’t be accomplsihed by us contributing to the demonization of foods, companies or telling consumers what they shouldn’t do. It hasn’t worked in the past so why should it work in the future? We need a new approach – adding in healthy delicious foods and limiting but NOT taking away junk, is much more palatable message for the consumer.
Lastly, I commend those companies who are trying to offer healthier products. Twenty years ago you didn’t see Coke, Pepsico, Kraft, etc offering healthier products because there wasn’t a market for it. I’d like to think that the influence of our profession is driving that train in the right direction. We are seeing trans fats being taken out of foods, sodium levels being lowered, more whole grain offerings are hitting the shelves, and the sugars being reduced in traditional cereals and the list goes on because there is a demand for it. It is getting better but yes, we have a ways to go. The food ranking systems aren’t perfect but they are a step in the right direction. And yes, we need to voice our opinions when something isn’t right. Our goal shouldn’t be demonizing companies or foods but rather working with companies to influence their future offerings for the better.
I’m glad you came to our conference and am glad that you plan to come again next year. I was glad to meet you from Day 1 (banished to the couch) and see you all through the conference to the very end. You mentioned this issue Tuesday morning, and yes, it is an issue for many people in our profession.
Not to excuse it, but I find it very important that at least registered dietitians are serving on some of these boards. Why? That way we, as Nutrition Experts, can help influence the food choices that are being presented to the consumer. Would some of these companies be making the strides toward healthier foods if the RD was not there? It is impossible to say, but having a RD on the board, or working in the company helps me feel a bit more comfortable know that someone is on the “other side” trying to get that food healthier somehow. (However, no matter how many vitamins you add to a soda, it will still be soda – and no matter how much fiber you add to a sugar sweetened cereal, it will still be a sugar sweetened cereal.)
I love seeing the new products at the expo. Some of the exhibitors are not products I would ever purchase, use, or recommend, but I’m interested in seeing what is “out there” should my clients ever ask me about them.
Sponsorship is important to many professional organizations – it does come with the territory, so we can afford to be a part of the organization.
I feel, and hope, that I am not influenced by the sponsors. I buy what I like and truly believe is healthy for me based on current research.
Best of luck to you! Tweet with you soon!
@Elisa – believe you meant Maya as the first timer at FNCE, and myself as well. I am happy to hear that obesity prevention is an utmost priority for the ADA. But as you can very well see in your 15 years as a nutrition professional, the situation is just getting worse…obesity rates are climbing each year, and childhood obesity at an even higher pace than adults.
How could that be if both industry and ADA are doing so much?
PS – good luck with your new book – http://www.nutritionatyourfingertips.com/ – at a quick glance it looks great!
@David – thanks for your comments; I too loaded up on some of the samples, snacking my way through the expo hall. It was great to see nuts, kiwis, and other unprocessed products being pushed. At the same time it seemed like every other food stand was for a snack bar or drink. Especially disturbing was the single serve Froot Loops being handed out and touted as a Smart Choice. Froot Loops may be a fun discretionary snack for kids every once in a while, but agree with me they should not be considered a breakfast food for daily consumption?
And again, I ask – how is it that with all the efforts of the Cokes and Pepsis of the world, we’re getting fatter and sicker each year?
@Shelley – great to hang out with you as well! I agree that having dietitians at Frito-Lay and Mars is better than not, though I’m sure many dietitians would refuse such a position.
The undertone heard from many dietitians I spoke to in private was an uneasiness with the too-close-for-independent-thought relationship between food companies and the ADA.
To summarize, you gals (and few guys) are great and truly have a sense of purpose and mission. But more needs to be done. Hopefully the healthcare reform will divert more $$$ to prevention through dietetic counseling.
This is a very slippery slope! We (RDs) aren’t even a sparkle in the eyes of most major companies. Without repeating many of the varied comments posted here, I am greatful we live in the USA and have freedom of choice. We can’t always beat ‘em at their own game so we better join them and send a message that registered dietitians CAN play on the field with the rest of the healthcare team- MDs, RNs, PT, OT etc.
We must unite and if you don’t like the message being put forth….STAND UP AND TAKE ACTION! No one else will do it for you. That being said, All American’s have a part to play in our healthcare crisis but the real part starts with YOU.
Unfortunately, your comments were accurate 40 years ago, when I completed my internship, just as they are today. ADA talked only to itself then, just as it does now. It ‘looks out’ more for the interests of commercial supporters than it does for it’s members.
There are many reasons why I recently gave up both my membership AND registration. These are only a few.
Lois, I am currently a dietetic intern who tries to be as informed as possible. I am very interested in what your motivations were in leaving behind the profession! I do understand that “big food” is out there and I am torn on the issue of the ADA partnering with them for the purpose of awareness and in trying to implement even the smallest changes possible. I do also feel it is a conflict of interest, and I am concerned about where the true motivations lie behind it! If you don’t mind me asking too, where did you take your career after this decision!
That ADA is in bed with the corporations mentioned is disturbing and I believe that it has created some hurdles for dietitians in general. A big name, non-RD nutrition educator, who many RD’s follow and admire, has opposed licensure in NY for dietitians and has been vocal about ADA’s corporate liaisons. I struggle with this, and when I was a younger dietitian coming to the conference, I found this confusing. But networking with my fellow (or perhaps I should say like-mined) RD’s has given me my voice on this issue. We must incite change from the inside, and very slowly we are, from within ADA and the corporations as my colleagues above have pointed out. I would love for ADA to rise above corporate interests, but the reality is that without money, we are powerless in a capitalistic society. Perhaps another way to look at it is to see that despite the ADA taking money from these corporations, dietitians are working toward a vast reduction in the consumption of the foods many of them sell. Who’s the fool here? (Perhaps we both are).
It was a pleasure to meet you at FNCE Fooducate and I’m glad to have you as an advocate in our camp! Stay on our team!
I’m not sure ADA would consider this, but one way around needing mega sponsor dollars is to do a virtual exhibition. There are already platforms for this using group chat rooms, webinars, job boards, etc. It would save many dollars in travel and hotel, alone, be more fair to those of use who have to pay for it all themselves, and many, many more RDs (me included) would be able to attend.