Dietitian's Knowledge About Nutrition Public Policy

The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics is involved in several priority areas to increase health and wellness among Americans. Priority areas include aging, child nutrition, food and food safety, health literacy and nutrition advancement, medical nutrition therapy and Medicare/Medicaid, nutrition monitoring and research, and obesity/overweight and healthy weight management. The association encourages each state's registered dietitians to attend Public Policy workshops, to discuss the issues with Congress, and to support policies or changes that will influence positive health outcomes. This project surveyed 98 dietitians about their knowledge of public policy and nutrition. The findings indicate that many dietitians are making strides in these areas. However, there are also gaps in knowledge, specifically dietitians' involvement in home health care and what medical nutrition therapy services currently are covered by Medicare/Medicaid.