The American Dietetic Association, also known as the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, is feeling extremely threatened these days and apparently has for quite some time.
With it’s nutritional advice increasingly being ignored and even laughed at by a public that is waking up to the fact that its recommendations run completely contrary to the diets of healthy, disease free Traditional Cultures and hence will not help them lose weight, control blood sugar, and prevent cancer and heart disease, the ADA is resorting to illegal black hat tactics to stifle the competition.
The first shot across the bow resulted in the attempted muzzling of blogger Steve Cooksey by the North Carolina Board of Dietetics/Nutrition. Board censors issued a list of demands to Cooksey in a nineteen page, manifesto style letter which included a markup of his own blog in handwritten red pen like a high school term paper. He was told he must comply with the Board’s demands or else face up to a month and a half in prison.
Prison – for blogging? America, Land of the Free Muzzled and Home of the Brave Fearful?
Now, leaked documents by outraged members of the American Dietetic Association itself have blown the lid off the nationwide attempt by the ADA to corner the market in health and nutritional advice.
In an article written by Michael Ellsberg of Forbes magazine earlier this week, Ellsberg quotes from these leaked documents which show without a shadow of a doubt that the ADA:
“Openly discusses creating and using state boards of dietetics/nutrition (including in NC and in every other state in the union) for the express purpose of limiting market competition for its Registered Dietitian members.”
“Openly discusses a nation-wide plan of surveilling and reporting private citizens, and particularly all competitors on the market for nutrition counseling, for “harming the public” by providing nutrition information/advice/counseling without a license–through exactly the same means by which Cooksey was reported to the NC Board. Again, for the explicit purpose of limiting marketplace competition.“
The smoking gun document leaked by the ADAs own members is published on the website of the Alliance for Natural Health, an organization highly critical of the ADA.
In essence, this document discusses, complete with color coded charts, how the ADA can work across all 50 states in order to support the creation of licensure laws and dietetics boards similar to that of North Carolina in order to limit competition and create an ADA monopoly on nutritional advice.
Spy for the ADA and Win a Free Conference Registration!
A second internal ADA document leaked by a disgusted member described tactics for spying on those perceived by the ADA as competitors in the field of nutritional counseling, who are arrogantly referred to as “uneducated wannabees”.
There is even a “Documentation of Harm Contest” (page 2) contained in the brochure for the Michigan Dietetic Association’s 2006 Conference in which attendees are told that they can win a free conference registration if they turn in the most information about unlicensed people who provide nutritional advice to the public. This information would be used by the State Board of Dietetics and Nutrition to potentially infringe upon these people’s right to free speech a la Steve Cooksey.
The actual Documentation of Harm Form can be downloaded and viewed from the Forbes magazine website.
Milton Friedman, author of Free to Choose and economist extraordinaire, once wrote that the public rarely if ever exhorts legislative pressure to license an occupation as a result of harm that has been done.
Au contraire. Friedman notes that the forces for licensure nearly always come from members of the occupation itself seeking to establish monopolistic control.
These leaked documents of the American Dietetic Association illustrate the perfect example of exactly that to which Mr. Friedman referred.
Sarah, The Healthy Home Economist
Nobody eat an Apple it might kill you!!! Hurry to your local Walmart and purchase anything in a bag or a box!!! Oh and make sure its ADA approved.
Stupid corporate greed nonsense and to much government involvement..yep, thats the American way! Be proud folks :/
Now I know why I studied nutrition and herbal medicine and didn’t become a dietitian!
Thank you for sharing!
Disgraceful!! Never ceases to amaze me the tactics these agencies will resort to. Not in the interest of OUR health, but in the interest of the health of their bottom line and the bottom line of the food industry.
I, as a free individual, will pay someone for their advice and their “coaching”, and I would kindly ask you to let me be,
do not use the threat
of the state
force and violence
to crush your competition.
If you as a licensee have information that I find valuable, I also will be happy to pay you for your advice and coaching, but please
do not use
the threat of State force and violence to limit your competition.
Amen! I agree with you Sissaly. I’m smart enough to make my own diet and healthcare services, I know my body better than any government or regulatory agency – it’s similar to how insurances won’t pay for alternative care that did more for me in 3 months than 3 years of traditional medicine did. It’s not about helping anyone but thugs trying to protect their golden goose.
Using the logic of the ADA, consumers could report a Registered Dietician of the ADA or the ADA itself for causing harm to the public. For instance, there was a post in March about a cardiologist who used to tell patients to eat low-fat if they had heart disease. Now he regrets doing that as a low-fat diet can do more harm than good to those patients. (https://www.thehealthyhomeeconomist.com/cardiologist-lowfat-diet-scientifically-and-morally-indefensible/) The same could be true for the teachings and advice of the ADA and it’s members for some members of the public. (Not that I would suggest starting a battle like that… but logically speaking…)
I have a large exstended family & we have Noted the same medications are given in a broad spectram across the board for Diabetis…during the first 365 days they discourage you from nutritionally adjusting & just tell you to take your pill & get used to it….during the next year they Double your meds and by the third year you have to take colesterol medication….after I reaching 365 lbs I chose to have Gastric Pypass. Several of My family memebers had already gone through the surgury. It was a Double edged sword for me. First it showed me how over medicated I was; I had Neuropathy from my toes to my face. They never asked if I had a Genetic Iron defincancy & now I struggle to keep my Iron Up. I began to Have a Hystomine responce to everything. and the List goes on and On…..after 5 years I still am 60lbs overweight but I am much healthier because I refused further treatment. Unfortunatly I was dianoised with 1 precancerous rectol Polyp & have surgury this week…its genetic of coure…..But I Noted my new local doctor quickly asked for My Past Records & I am not willing to let them treat me any longer based on my past history….luckily I learned my Old Doctors office closed, So I can tell her I dont have those records and they can start a NEW base line of information………………………….thanks for always Excelling at the information you share…It has helped me to discern for myself what advise to follow!!!
I work in a regulated industry, as do many. To see some one who is unlicensed “charging” for a service that requires a license is where the problem falls.
I agree that he should be allowed to share his knowledge openly and freely, but not for a fee.
No I am not in the medical industry-but I do continue education and pay to carry a state license for the right to practice a service.
Although bloggers can make money blogging, they do not charge a fee from their readers, so not sure how your comment relates to this story.
She is likely referring to Steve Cooksey, who had a service on his site where he would give personal advice to people for a fee. I have to agree that that’s probably crossing the line.
Thank you Dan!
I think you are the only one who really saw where I was going in my comment.
The problem is when these groups want to literally outlaw other types of practitioners and make theirs the only one available to people. We must be able to choose the approach that we believe best fits our needs. If I want to hire a registered dietician, fine, but I should also be able to hire someone with a more holistic approach. It should be my choice, and legislatures shouldn’t bow to the pressures from these groups who want to create a monopoly for themselves that excludes and essentially outlaws everyone else.
Yes, but it’s been happening to someone who offers medical advice without a license too. Many, MANY people who have discovered cures for various illnesses (including cancer) have been swiftly stricken down by the authorities (EVEN IF WHAT THEY DO WORKS) for practicing without a license. This seems to be the same sort of case, in that he is offering a counselling/nutrition service for a fee, while unlicensed.
If he had blogged his advice without actually charging a fee to individual people (or even just sold a book containing his advice) I doubt they would have been able to hold anything against him (as there are a zillion books out there dispensing nutritional advice written by people with no formal qualifications, and all espousing different philosophies).
However, I agree there is a huge problem when there is a monopoly driven by a particular association, and no one who has a differing viewpoint or other advice, can actually GET a license to practice unless they go against their own beliefs and qualify for a degree or qualification that they don’t actually believe in (for example undertaking a nutrition course where they are assessed with how well they understand nutrition principles that espouse eating cereals and grains and limiting saturated fats).
There should be alternative licenses and qualifications that would enable someone who doesn’t practice conventional wisdom to be able to practice as a nutrition counsellor!
BC,
I appreciate your response. I am in my last quarter of finishing school to be a Certified Health Counselor. Under these quidelines I would not be able to practice, even though I will be registered with the American Association of Drugless Practicioners. This is absoulutely rediculous! My neighbor just told me about the advice she was given by her doctor when he diagnosed her with diverticulitis. I think my teenagers could have given her better nutritional advice…but they are the “safe” ones to go to??
The point is, we should all have the right to get “advice” from anyone we want, whether they are licensed or unlicensed. I have a right to pay for that advice with my own money. It is not the licensed person’s business who I choose to get my advice from.
Carol, and commenters asking about this situation, here are some comments received via email from Diane Miller, Director of Law and Public Policy for National Health Freedom Action, which can help provide clarification.
“The writer seems to think that people cannot share knowledge for a fee. The writer seems to think that licensure is the gatekeeper of freedom of speech. Licensure is a government police power function and only dangerous occupational activity can be licensed. Government can only restrict occupations that cause an imminent risk of harm to the public. A number of occupations have tried to convince government officials that their occupation is dangerous if practiced by people that do not go to their schools. And for a number of years government officials were convinced that they should ban the practice of some professions by people that did not have a license. However, research was completed by many including the Kato Institute and licensing laws were challenged and some repealed, and then many states put laws into effect that stated the constitutional threshold that governments could not license a profession and restrict others to practice that occupation unless they were doing dangerous things. Now many states are passing safe harbor laws that protect the rights of consumers to access unlicensed persons and to protect the rights of all occupations to practice, as long as they avoid prohibited conduct that the state deems dangerous such as puncturing the skin, surgery, or giving out prescription drugs or controlled substances and a list of other things, and as long as they tell people what they are doing, who they are their background, and the fact the they do not have a state endorsed licensed to practice a health care profession. Many people hold many forms of knowledge and freedom of speech is the corner stone of our dreams for freedom of expression. Charging a fee for imparting knowledge is commonplace in our society. Recently an occupational audit of the licensing Boards of Michigan recommended a complete repeal of the dietitian licensing laws because that occupation does not pose a significant risk of harm to the public and does not warrant the state’s administrative activity. I hope this is helpful. Also in Nevada we supported the freedom of speech clause on the dietitian bill that passed last year that states:
Exemption:
(d) A person who furnishes nutrition information, provides
recommendations or advice concerning nutrition, or markets food,
food materials or dietary supplements and provides nutrition
information, recommendations or advice related to that marketing,
if the person does not represent that he or she is a licensed
dietitian or registered dietitian. While performing acts described in
this paragraph, a person shall be deemed not to be engaged in the
practice of dietetics or the providing of nutrition services.
Diane Miller, Director of Law and Public Policy for National Health Freedom Action
http://www.nationalhealthfreedom.org
Phone: 507-663-9018
Fax: 507-663-9013
Great article and video Sarah!! Definitely going to share this on my site. It never ceases to amaze me at the corruption of these vile organizations and the lengths they will go to that keep America fat and sick while supporting food conglomerates and pharmaceutical companies. They should be shot.
Hi Sarah!
I would be so grateful if you would consider writing a post on baby/toddler excema! My son has a bad case of eczema. He is 14 months old. He has it on his knees, ankles, wrist, fingers and back.
We are giving him the bone broth formula from Nourishing Traditions, vegtables, Good meats, goat’s milk, Green Pastures Fermented Cod Liver Oil, and strong pro- biotics.
I really want to be doing the right thing and my husband and I greatly desire to see our son healed. We are willing to do whatever it takes!!!
DO you have any other recommendations for us or any websites we can go to for help?
Thank you for your time,
Tara
Hi Tara, I would suggest looking into the GAPS Diet as eczema is an autoimmune condition. If you would like a practicioner to guide you, I would advise contacting Kim Shuette at biodynamicwellness.com
Tara, the GAPS diet was what healed my infant daughter and toddler of terrible eczema. It is very hard to do at times, but well worth the effort in the end!