March is National Nutrition Month

Who Is Your RD? To mark the first Registered Dietitian Day, the American Dietetic Association is urging everyone to start having an annual “Nutrition Checkup”. You know who your doctor is. But who is your registered dietitian?

“In the same way that you have a physician whom you see regularly to manage your medical needs, everyone should also see an RD routinely for help in managing your nutritional needs,” says registered dietitian and American Dietetic Association (ADA) spokesperson Joan Salge Blake. The ADA reminds consumers that March is National Nutrition Month and marked the first annual Registered Dietitian Day this past Monday, March 10, 2008, and wants consumers to establish an ongoing relationship with a food and nutrition expert, an RD.

Local ADA member and registered dietitian, Rick Parks, says small lifestyle changes, such as adding more vegetables to a daily eating plan, quickly adds up and can pay big health dividends over time. Registered dietitians use their nutrition expertise to help individuals make just these types of unique, positive lifestyle changes.

“Through annual visits to a registered dietitian for a ‘nutrition checkup,’ individuals can obtain dietary advice and guidance based on their changing health needs,” Parks says. “These checkups enable you to not only address nutrition and health problems as they occur, but most importantly, prevent problems that are potentially looming down the road.”

“Do you have high cholesterol or high blood pressure? Are you dangerously overweight or even just have a few pounds to lose? Don’t wait until you have a stroke or a heart attack. The RD’s role is to take our expertise based on the current nutrition science and personalize it to fit your individual lifestyle,” Salge Blake says. “People often are not aware that many health insurance plans now cover visits to a registered dietitian, sometimes without a doctor’s referral,” adds Blake, “so check with your insurance company.”

In 2002, Medicare began reimbursing for medical nutrition therapy provided by an RD for people with diabetes and kidney disease, and private insurers increasingly are covering visits to registered dietitians for treatment of obesity, high blood pressure and high blood cholesterol levels. Insurance coverage is only one of the benefits of choosing a registered dietitian over someone calling him or herself a “nutritionist,” who could be anyone from a personal trainer to a health food store employee. Nutritionists may have little or no qualifications for dispensing nutrition advice, Salge Blake says. “Only an RD has the education and the experience to give you the latest personalized information based on solid scientific evidence.”

With more than 67,000 members, the American Dietetic Association is the nation’s largest organization of food and nutrition professionals. ADA serves the public by promoting optimal nutrition, health and well-being. To locate a registered dietitian in your area, visit the American Dietetic Association at www.eatright.org.

This information originally published on March 9, 2008.