Happy Dietitians Week!
Happy Dietitians Week!
Running June 16-22nd, Dietitians Week is an opportunity to celebrate all the incredible work Dietitians do including:
Translating the nutrition science into practical, real-life strategies
Fostering healthy relationships between food, mind & body
Empowering clients through increased food, nutrition and cooking skills
Supporting client’s nutrition and food goals
Advocate for changes to public health nutrition policy
It’s a great time to reflect on the advances made in the nutrition space over the last 12 months.
Fun fact: If you don't work (or know someone who does), you may be surprised to learn nutrition science is a relatively young area of science. This means the research is rapidly evolving, with exciting new approaches emerging all the time. This ever-evolving progress helps ensure that dietetic care stays safe, effective, and firmly rooted in the latest evidence.
Highlights from the nutrition world from the last 12 months
National Highlights (as per the Dietitians Australia 2023–24 Annual Report)
Stronger Political Influence: 75 meetings with MPs and high-impact media coverage helped elevate nutrition on the national agenda. Advocated for dietitians in mental health, aged care, early childhood, and disability services.
Launch of the Mental Health Evidence Brief (2024): Compiled strong evidence supporting the role of Accredited Practising Dietitians (APDs) in managing and preventing mental health conditions through diet.
National Aged Care Quality Indicator Program (QITAG) Involvement: Dietitians Australia joined this advisory group, influencing nutrition standards in residential aged care.
Early Childhood Nutrition Push: A successful Parliamentary Friends of Nutrition event highlighted poor access to nutrition support in childcare settings, attracting record media attention and political engagement.
Disability Sector Advocacy: Highlighted gaps in nutrition care within the NDIS and pushed for improved access and pricing structures for dietetic services.
International Highlights:
Ultra-Processed Food Guidelines: The WHO and several national public health bodies issued stricter guidelines on ultra-processed food intake, tying it more explicitly to chronic disease risk (notably depression and cardiovascular disease).
Personalised Nutrition Advances: Use of AI and microbiome profiling for individualised diet recommendations became more mainstream, particularly in the management of diabetes, IBD, and weight loss.
Planetary Health Diet Momentum: More governments began incorporating sustainability into national dietary guidelines (e.g. Canada, Germany), aligning with EAT-Lancet Commission goals.
Food as Medicine Initiatives: Expansion of prescription produce programs in the US and UK, integrating nutrition into healthcare by offering subsidised or free fruits/vegetables for chronic disease patients.
Major Research on Mental Health & Diet: Large-scale studies (e.g. SMILES Trial follow-ups) reinforced the impact of diet quality on mood disorders, cementing the role of dietitians in mental health care teams.
Dietitians Week is a great time to showcase the difference dietitians can make across all areas of health. The last 12 months has seen progress in nutrition policy, research, and practice, highlighting the importance of the role of dietitians.
Written by Ella McCredden, APD