April 9, 2012

Forbes Blog article probes health freedom issues surrounding the American Dietetic Association, by Michael Ellsberg. Click Here to Read Article

National Health Freedom Coalition Director, Diane Miller, was quoted in Ellsberg’s excellent and in-depth article asking the question: “Is the American Dietetic Association Attempting to Limit Market Competition in Nutrition Counseling? “

NHFA, NHFC’s sister lobbying organization, has opposed Dietitian licensing bills in multiple states. Many of the bills introduced have had language that prohibits freedom of speech, stating that a person who is not a licensed Dietitian or Dietitian/Nutritionist cannot counsel or advise others on nutrition or nutrition therapies. In cases where the bills are not defeated, NHFA has proposed safe harbor health freedom language that exempts citizens from licensing requirements. Amendments like this have been adopted in Delaware and Nevada.

The following is an example of amendment language currently prepared to amend a monopolistic Dietitian licensing bill in the state of Illinois. We need activists that can promote this language there.

A person is exempt from Dietitian/Nutritionist licensing requirements who: “furnishes nutrition information, provides recommendations, counseling 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 nutritionist. 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.”

In some states the Dietitian advocates even go so far as to attempt to define what medical speech is, proposing bans on any speech that does not fit within their definition of “general medical nutrition information”. NHFA views these aggressive bills as completely unconstitutional.

NHFA will continue to oppose these bills and work to protect freedom of speech and freedom to access information regarding health and nutrition!