Dietitians Celebrate Dietitans Week Highlighting Integrity And High Standard Of Practice In Aotearoa New Zealand

Dietitians Week April 8-14, 2024

Dietitians New
Zealand Ngā Pukenga Ka Ora o Aotearoa is proud to announce
the celebration of Dietitians Week, taking place from April
8th to 14th, 2024. This year, we are honored to join hands
with our Australian dietetic colleagues in commemorating
this significant event. The theme for New Zealand in 2024 is
‘Dietitians Fuel Your Health’, highlighting the crucial
role of dietitians in promoting health and
wellbeing.

However, amidst the celebrations, it is
imperative to address certain misconceptions perpetuated in
recent media coverage. The article “As obesity rises, food
marketers and dietitians push ‘anti-diet’,” originally
published by the Washington Post and later republished by
stuff.co.nz, raises concerns regarding the portrayal of
dietitians’ practices in New Zealand. Regrettably, the
journalist failed to engage with Dietitians New Zealand to
validate the accuracy of the claims made in the article,
within a New Zealand context.

All New Zealand
Registered Dietitians must adhere to a strict code of
ethics, as part of the annual registration and practicing
requirements . Principle 5 from within the Code of Ethics is
particularly pertinent and reads; “Dietitians advertise
products, brands or services, only in a manner that protects
and supports the health and wellbeing of the New Zealand
public, whilst also upholding the integrity of the
profession.” Breaches of the code of ethics are subject to
disciplinary action by the Dietitians Board, underscoring
the seriousness with which such matters are
treated.

Dietitians New Zealand ceased all corporate
sponsorship relationships in 2018, reflecting our commitment
to ethical practice. As an Incorporated Society, the
Dietitians New Zealand annual reports provide transparent
insights into our sponsorship and funding
relationships.

Contrary to misconceptions, the concept
of a “non-diet” or “Health at Every Size (HAES) approach has
been around within the field of dietetics since the 1960s.
It also continues to be an area of active ongoing clinical
research into the health outcomes from treatment. However,
not all dietitians practice the non-diet approach. For those
dietitians working alongside clients with weight concerns,
their treatment approaches are tailored to individual
patient needs and experiences.

People with a higher
body weight can experience weight bias and stigma, which can
lead to worsening health outcomes. Evidence indicates that
the pursuit of intentional weight loss through lifestyle
modifications will reliably result in short-term success.
However, this is unsustainable in the long term – with
strong evidence to show that most weight is re-gained within
a 2-year period. Given the complexity of the factors
affecting body weight, there is a pressing need for
continued research into this area, alongside increased
funding to access dietitians, who can provide evidence-based
treatments to maximise health outcomes.

For those
seeking further information about dietitians or wishing to
know where to find a local dietitian, we invite you to visit
our website at
www.dietitians.org.nz.

References:

Chavkin, S
Gilbert C, Tsui A, O’Connor A (2024) As obesity rises,
food marketers and dietitians push ‘anti-diet in Stuff 4
April 2024, reprinted from The Washington Post 3 April
2024

Dietitians Board 2017 Code of ethics and conduct
for
Dietitians

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