Rocking with Dietitian Connection at Dietitians Day 2017

Here we go. Alarm clock set at 4 am on a Friday. Plane scheduled for 6 am, I am off to Melbourne for Dietitians Day organised by Dietitian Connection. I forgot how chilly Melbourne can be in the morning, luckily I survived the early morning chill and arrived just in time for the first presentation kick off.

Dietitians Day always promises to be inspiring and this year did not disappoint. Conferences such as these enable us to meet colleagues whilst networking, which allowsmetoreallysoakuptheatmosphereandmakethemostoutoftheopportunity. Ipersonallylikemeetingstudentsandlisteningtotheirnewideasandinsights. There was, however, a frustration within the profession. Dietitians all love food. We are all passionate, but we have lost share of voice in the nutrition conversation. Is it because we are science based and not trends based? There were a number of presentations to address this topic during the day.

Prominent dietitian, Karen Inge, recommended that as dietitians we re-evaluate our role, our training, and our communication. We must make sure that our message hits home. Today, people’s biology has become their ideology with 1 in 3 Australian’s quitting sugar, 1 in 4 being on a high protein diet and 1 in 3 trialling gluten-free diets. 44% of adults say lifestyle choices and food restrictions dictate what they eat. Food is not about what we eat anymore, it has become synonymous with our belief systems. Social and traditional media, not to mention health and wellness coaches love food as much as dietitians do, but they are a little louder and are not bound by the evidence. We need to connect with people over common beliefs. Such an interesting aspect of the profession!

Dietitians love conferences and, let’s be honest, we love samples and goody bags. I took the opportunity to have a look at the different stalls and the innovation products that will hit the shelves soon. Some great products out there.

It was also great to see dietitians flicking though our fibre kit, which we put into the satchel.
There was a very interesting topic discussed around minimally disruptive medicine where the aim is to confuse people the leas t and to make things straightforward and achievable. We have addressed this insight with our fibre kit and it’s great to see our health professional colleagues have responded in such a positive way. As food industry dietitians, we love it that we are making a difference in primary care.

For us it’s all about making a difference where we can. Until next time,

Muriel