OK. Time to talk about the American Dietetic Association’s alliances with food companies
March 17, 2008
Ashley just posted this message: “Today I received an email from the American Dietetic Association [ADA] welcoming the Coca-Cola company as a corporate sponsor. As a rookie RD this type of announcement is perplexing and often disturbing. What is more bothersome is that the President of ADA referred to the American Public as consumers… How do I align myself with an organization that aligns themselves with industry more than social activism?
Thank you Ashley for reminding me about some previous comments about the ADA’s industry partnerships, including this one: “I feel badly that you chose to put down ADA for its message instead of joining forces and finding ways that we can work together…as an organization which does not have much money this is the way that we can fund educational programs for our members and get our scientific message out to the public…I hope that you will consider joining with us instead of voicing criticism for this well-respected organization of highly educated and well-trained health professionals.”
Respected ADA colleagues: as long as your organization partners with makers of food and beverage products, its opinions about diet and health will never be believed independent (translation: based on science not politics) and neither will yours. Consider the ADA’s Nutrition Fact Sheets, for example, each with its very own corporate sponsor (scroll down to the lower right hand corner of the second page to see who paid for the Facts). Is the goal of ADA really the same as the goal of the sponsors–to sell the sponsor’s food products? Is this a good way to get important scientific messages to the public? ADA members: how about doing something about this!
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Pingback by OK. Time to talk about the American Dietetic Association’s alliances with food companies | health nutrition — March 17, 2008 @ 5:45 pm
Bravo!
Comment by Migraineur — March 18, 2008 @ 11:05 am
And … wow. This is almost surreal - Wrigley supporting a fact sheet on gum chewing, Hershey supporting one on chocolate, and some association of fruit juice manufacturers supporting one on fruit juice.
Tsk, tsk, tsk.
Comment by Migraineur — March 18, 2008 @ 11:11 am
What should we do? What would it take? Let’s just say that 10 years ago, I didn’t think this was much of a problem. I just didn’t get it. Now I do, but I don’t know how to go about it other than not be a member.
Comment by Renata — March 18, 2008 @ 11:40 am
I think this was around 10 years ago. It was around 15 years ago when I was finishing up grad school as well. It seems like that group is overly receptive to new food technology, ie, fat replacers, sugar substitutes, engineered food bars, engineered shakes, energy drinks, packaged meals, etc.
It’s good to hear that Ashley found a working group that is on the same page so maybe there is trend toward new, more critical thinking.
Comment by Kati — March 18, 2008 @ 11:47 am
Ashley, what DPG is more progressive?
I stopped my ADA membership years back, wrote letters, emails - but didn’t seem to get much response.
My current employer requires us to join the ADA, so I’d be interested in seeing the DPG you found…
Comment by Andrea — March 19, 2008 @ 5:54 pm
To answer your question about the DPG(dietetic practice group) is the Hunger and Enviromental DPG. Upon the release of the Coca-cola partnership announcement, the list-serve was blowing up with dismay and anger. This group realizes the degregation that such relationships creates. Our main concerns:
1. Corporate sponsorship and how those relationships diminish our integrity
in the public eye.
2. Corporate sponsorship and how those relationships diminsh our integrity
in the eyes of our professional peers (American Public Health Association,
American Nursing Association, etc.)
3. How corpporate sponsorship influences ADA position statements and policy.
I can assure you that this group of HEN members are dedicated to safe, whole foods, sustainable systems that have minimal impact on the enviroment. This group truely has ignited an fire in the walls of ADA and is the fastest growing DPG in the “member based” organization. Change comes from the inside out. And that is the only reason I continue to pay my dues.
“Mice make elephants dance”
Please read fellow member Melinda Hemmelgran’s In defense of food - and dietitians :
http://www.columbiatribune.com/2008/Mar/20080305Food010.asp
Comment by Ashley — March 23, 2008 @ 11:43 am
We as nutritionists and ADA members have created a petition entitled, “The Last Straw – Nutritionists unite against the American Dietetic Association’s recent partnership with the Coca Cola Company. We will be posting it shortly on line for folks to sign and I will update this blog with the address. It goes as follows:
We, the undersigned petition the American Dietetic Association to cut off its ties with the Coca Cola company. We do not want to be part of an organization that has Coca Cola as its major sponsor. We feel this partnership is in direct opposition to what we as nutritionists stand for and the role we assume in the defense of real food and the safeguarding of the health of our children and the health of our planet. Coca Cola spends millions of marketing dollars in this country and abroad to promote the consumption of soft drinks that are filled with sugar or artificial sweeteners, caffeine, phosphoric acid, and other non-nutritious substances. The consumption of these products have been found to contribute to our nation’s alarming epidemic of childhood obesity, diabetes, as well as tooth decay. Furthermore, the Coca Cola Company’s practices abroad have been found to be extremely harmful to the land and people in many countries especially India. As nutritionists, we cannot stand idly by and allow the American Dietetic Association to use our names or our membership in support or association with this beverage company.
Thank you Marion, for bringing up this issue on your blog!
Comment by barbara storper, ms, rd — April 27, 2008 @ 3:27 pm
Please be patient with me because I am trying to work through this. Let me state first that I am disturbed by the corporate affiliations ADA has, and I am not trying to diminish the harm soft drink consumption has had on our nation’s (and world’s) health. Nonetheless, how will this petition help ADA get the funding the say they need to further their cause? I see the value of the petition, as it gives RDs a voice, and it can challenge the ADA to start rethinking how they get funding. But how else can we be part of the solution? Where is this discussion taking place? I am aware that the HEN group is discussing this, but what about somewhere that all RDs are able to participate if they wish?
Comment by Renata — April 30, 2008 @ 8:34 pm
I think it’s just great that these issues are being raised at ADA - at long last. The point is to make the organization stronger and more credible. That will require the membership to understand that if the ADA is not independent of industry funding, its positions on diet and health cannot be perceived as credible. This is an important issue, and well worth the struggle. Ideas about how to move forward?
Comment by Marion — May 4, 2008 @ 10:40 am