04/22/04

Whether or Not the Doctor Is in: For the Best and Most Reliable Food and Nutrition Advice, Turn to the Experts - Dietetics Professionals

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

April 22, 2004

Media contacts: Lori Ferme, Kelly Liebbe
800/877-1600 ext. 4802, 4769
media@eatright.org
(Please do not publish these numbers)

CHICAGO - A new government report says too few doctors are advising their patients who are obese that losing weight can improve and even save their lives. But giving consumers just that sort of practical and valuable advice is all in a day’s work for the nation’s dietetics professionals, according to the food and nutrition experts of the American Dietetic Association.

“Consultation with a dietetics professional such as a registered dietitian can help put you on the path to losing weight, eating healthfully, reducing your risk for chronic diseases and enjoying an active and fulfilling life,” said registered dietitian and ADA spokesperson Dawn Jackson.

“No other health professional has the combination of education and science-based nutrition expertise to work with you in developing a personalized plan that is right for you,” Jackson said.

“Registered dietitians are the most highly educated health professionals in the field of food and nutrition,” Jackson said. “We can work with you to help reduce high blood pressure, provide nutrition therapy for post-surgical patients, food intolerances, provide expert advice for diabetics and much more.”

Increasing numbers of insurance plans, including Medicare, cover visits to dietetics professionals as well as medical nutrition therapy for nutrition-related conditions such as obesity. “Registered dietitians frequently work with patients on referrals from physicians. The average cost for an appointment with a registered dietitian varies throughout the country but the visits are very affordable,” Jackson said.

To contact a registered dietitian in your area, visit the American Dietetic Association at http://www.eatright.org/ and enter your zip code in the “Find a Nutrition Professional” box.

With nearly 70,000 members, the Chicago-based American Dietetic Association is the nation’s largest organization of food and nutrition professionals. ADA serves the public by promoting optimal nutrition and well-being.