We all talk about being evidencebased , but the problem is the evidence isn ’ t always interpreted the same way . How do we make ourselves stand out as nutrition experts when there might be disagreements in our philosophies ?
As a profession , of course we are evidence-based , but there are some limitations . We have to acknowledge that evidence is not always the best quality and it does change over time . That ’ s not to disparage the research , because it ’ s hard ! But we have to make the best of what we ' ve got . In even the most perfect randomised control trial , there are in individuals in the study that contributed to the deviation around the mean . When you appreciate that at an individual level , there is validity to different approaches . Rather than being negative on a different viewpoint , I think we need to question whether the approach will work for an individual person and if their health will be better for it . Instead of fighting fads , I think we should be fighting the people who are cherry-picking the evidence .
a of science changes , too . s of things change . But in n , it ' s a bad thing that you s ago that ’ s now changed . that you ' ve changed your e evidence has changed . still talking about low fat !
Do you have any words of wisdom for how dietitians can improve their standing in the nutrition space ?
A lot of what we talk about to the general public is to eat more fruits and vegetables and less junk food , but we have wonderful things now to dress that up . We can start talking about exciting things like the gut microbiome to massage our messages . That ' s what the people want to hear about – the latest trends and fads , so how can you use that to your advantage ? Focus on the positive aspects and then bring in our other messages about the fundamentals of a broad , healthy dietary pattern for the general population .
Do you have any hopes of how you see the dietetic profession evolving in the future ?
We have so much access now to research and professional development that dietitians are going to be better informed . There are some wonderful dietitians with huge followings , all throughout social media , doing great stuff . And I ' m just the biggest advocate of anyone making a start and just getting themselves out there , getting a professional presence , doing good work that suits you and how you want to communicate . It ’ s a really positive thing for our profession .
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tim-crowe
doctimcrowe / © Dietitian Connection 13 Infuse | May 2022