Let’s all advocate for the dietetics profession

Abstract

It’s an election year, and I hope many of us will exercise our right to vote this month. After seemingly years of debates, campaigning, conventions, and headlines, our country is not only choosing a president, we will soon have a new Congress and new governors and legislators in many states. When the 109th Congress convenes in January 2005, new bills will be introduced and debated, and some will be passed. Some legislation will deal with nutrition-related issues, the top priorities for the American Dietetic Association (ADA) and all dietetics professionals.One of the most important things ADA does is provide a clear and persuasive voice for our members in Washington, DC. We accomplish that chiefly through the work of ADA’s Policy Initiatives and Advocacy group, based in our nation’s capital. Working with volunteer members of the Legislative and Public Policy Committee (LPPC), which sets ADA’s policy goals and priorities, our staff in Washington advocates for legislation that supports our Association priorities, as well as providing authoritative testimony and comments on the full range of food, nutrition, and health issues.Review priorities, target resourcesADA’s Board of Directors plays a broad role that is essential in addressing key policy issues in the most effective ways possible. This includes routinely reviewing legislative goals and priorities—particularly in the areas of aging, child nutrition, nutrition research, nutrition monitoring, medical nutrition therapy, and obesity—and directing resources toward these overarching issues of importance to dietetics professionals.How are issues of priorities and resource allocation decided? The following questions are asked: ●Is this a priority to support the ADA mission and Strategic Plan?●Is this important to our members?●What does the science say?●Can we make a difference?●Do we need to act to have our concerns addressed?●What are the costs of ADA involvement?Answers to these questions shape the Policy Initiatives and Advocacy Group’s recommendations to the Legislative and Public Policy Committee or shape plans of action in keeping with the Legislative and Public Policy Committee’s goals.Member involvementADA’s advocacy for legislation and regulations that affect all members’ daily lives and work is a significant benefit of ADA membership. Our successful advocacy for food, nutrition, and health legislation must include the substantial involvement of all members. We all need to be involved in grassroots activities. We all need to make personal contact with our state and national legislators and senators—how are they going to learn about ADA’s positions and priorities if we don’t tell them? Why will they vote favorably on legislation we support if we won’t make our own best case for it? Use your influence as a voter and as an ADA member and communicate with your elected representatives.Stay informed and give supportWe can’t be effective advocates without staying informed ourselves. ADA makes it easy for you to learn more about public policy in food and nutrition through our annual Public Policy Workshop. Join more than 450 of your colleagues in Washington, DC, March 1-3, 2005, to get the latest on the issues and learn about advocacy strategies that work at both the state and federal levels.All year-round, ADA’s member publication On the Pulse is another valuable source of information. On the Pulse is distributed free weekly via broadcast e-mail. Subscribe at your “home on the Web,” www.eatright.org.And I can’t stress this enough—support the Association’s political action committee ADAPAC. As the only political action committee that speaks solely for food and nutrition professionals, ADAPAC contributes to campaigns of candidates for federal office, regardless of political party, who support our priorities. Learn much more by visiting www.adapac.org.Be effective advocatesUse all the resources available to you as ADA members to increase your knowledge of policy and legislative issues and to effectively advocate for our profession. As a wise member once told me: “If dietetics is your profession, then politics is your business.” It’s an election year, and I hope many of us will exercise our right to vote this month. After seemingly years of debates, campaigning, conventions, and headlines, our country is not only choosing a president, we will soon have a new Congress and new governors and legislators in many states. When the 109th Congress convenes in January 2005, new bills will be introduced and debated, and some will be passed. Some legislation will deal with nutrition-related issues, the top priorities for the American Dietetic Association (ADA) and all dietetics professionals. One of the most important things ADA does is provide a clear and persuasive voice for our members in Washington, DC. We accomplish that chiefly through the work of ADA’s Policy Initiatives and Advocacy group, based in our nation’s capital. Working with volunteer members of the Legislative and Public Policy Committee (LPPC), which sets ADA’s policy goals and priorities, our staff in Washington advocates for legislation that supports our Association priorities, as well as providing authoritative testimony and comments on the full range of food, nutrition, and health issues. Review priorities, target resourcesADA’s Board of Directors plays a broad role that is essential in addressing key policy issues in the most effective ways possible. This includes routinely reviewing legislative goals and priorities—particularly in the areas of aging, child nutrition, nutrition research, nutrition monitoring, medical nutrition therapy, and obesity—and directing resources toward these overarching issues of importance to dietetics professionals.How are issues of priorities and resource allocation decided? The following questions are asked: ●Is this a priority to support the ADA mission and Strategic Plan?●Is this important to our members?●What does the science say?●Can we make a difference?●Do we need to act to have our concerns addressed?●What are the costs of ADA involvement?Answers to these questions shape the Policy Initiatives and Advocacy Group’s recommendations to the Legislative and Public Policy Committee or shape plans of action in keeping with the Legislative and Public Policy Committee’s goals. ADA’s Board of Directors plays a broad role that is essential in addressing key policy issues in the most effective ways possible. This includes routinely reviewing legislative goals and priorities—particularly in the areas of aging, child nutrition, nutrition research, nutrition monitoring, medical nutrition therapy, and obesity—and directing resources toward these overarching issues of importance to dietetics professionals. How are issues of priorities and resource allocation decided? The following questions are asked: ●Is this a priority to support the ADA mission and Strategic Plan?●Is this important to our members?●What does the science say?●Can we make a difference?●Do we need to act to have our concerns addressed?●What are the costs of ADA involvement? Answers to these questions shape the Policy Initiatives and Advocacy Group’s recommendations to the Legislative and Public Policy Committee or shape plans of action in keeping with the Legislative and Public Policy Committee’s goals. Member involvementADA’s advocacy for legislation and regulations that affect all members’ daily lives and work is a significant benefit of ADA membership. Our successful advocacy for food, nutrition, and health legislation must include the substantial involvement of all members. We all need to be involved in grassroots activities. We all need to make personal contact with our state and national legislators and senators—how are they going to learn about ADA’s positions and priorities if we don’t tell them? Why will they vote favorably on legislation we support if we won’t make our own best case for it? Use your influence as a voter and as an ADA member and communicate with your elected representatives. ADA’s advocacy for legislation and regulations that affect all members’ daily lives and work is a significant benefit of ADA membership. Our successful advocacy for food, nutrition, and health legislation must include the substantial involvement of all members. We all need to be involved in grassroots activities. We all need to make personal contact with our state and national legislators and senators—how are they going to learn about ADA’s positions and priorities if we don’t tell them? Why will they vote favorably on legislation we support if we won’t make our own best case for it? Use your influence as a voter and as an ADA member and communicate with your elected representatives. Stay informed and give supportWe can’t be effective advocates without staying informed ourselves. ADA makes it easy for you to learn more about public policy in food and nutrition through our annual Public Policy Workshop. Join more than 450 of your colleagues in Washington, DC, March 1-3, 2005, to get the latest on the issues and learn about advocacy strategies that work at both the state and federal levels.All year-round, ADA’s member publication On the Pulse is another valuable source of information. On the Pulse is distributed free weekly via broadcast e-mail. Subscribe at your “home on the Web,” www.eatright.org.And I can’t stress this enough—support the Association’s political action committee ADAPAC. As the only political action committee that speaks solely for food and nutrition professionals, ADAPAC contributes to campaigns of candidates for federal office, regardless of political party, who support our priorities. Learn much more by visiting www.adapac.org. We can’t be effective advocates without staying informed ourselves. ADA makes it easy for you to learn more about public policy in food and nutrition through our annual Public Policy Workshop. Join more than 450 of your colleagues in Washington, DC, March 1-3, 2005, to get the latest on the issues and learn about advocacy strategies that work at both the state and federal levels. All year-round, ADA’s member publication On the Pulse is another valuable source of information. On the Pulse is distributed free weekly via broadcast e-mail. Subscribe at your “home on the Web,” www.eatright.org. And I can’t stress this enough—support the Association’s political action committee ADAPAC. As the only political action committee that speaks solely for food and nutrition professionals, ADAPAC contributes to campaigns of candidates for federal office, regardless of political party, who support our priorities. Learn much more by visiting www.adapac.org. Be effective advocatesUse all the resources available to you as ADA members to increase your knowledge of policy and legislative issues and to effectively advocate for our profession. As a wise member once told me: “If dietetics is your profession, then politics is your business.” Use all the resources available to you as ADA members to increase your knowledge of policy and legislative issues and to effectively advocate for our profession. As a wise member once told me: “If dietetics is your profession, then politics is your business.”