My Road to a Positive Self Image

By: J’Laine Stutsman

Deciding to start college in my mid-thirties was not an easy decision, but thanks to the support of my family I was able to begin my journey to becoming an RD. When I first decided to go back to school I was not exactly sure what it was I wanted to do. It wasn’t until my oldest child was having GI complications and had to see a dietitian that I finally decided. I started this path because my son, but the further along I go the more I realize my own complicated relationship with food.

I came from the generation of having to eat everything off of your dinner plate before you could leave the table.  When dinner was complete I was always the last one at the table, while my family gathered in the living room. This eventually led to an absence of fullness, which led to weight gain overtime. Everything came to crashing down when in 6^th grade I was diagnosed with a reproductive disease called endometriosis. The only treatment was hormone therapy, which caused me to transform from a size 8 to a size 18 over one summer. As you can imagine such a large weight gain can be tough for any child. To make matters worse my mother was always trying to “help” me by trying to change things about me in an effort to make me look better. This lead to a feeling of not ever being good enough the way I was. I can’t blame my mother for everything, my grandmother and uncle helped to aide in my insecurities. You see on my mothers’ side I felt like the one that wasn’t as smart or pretty as my sister and the comments they sometimes only amplified my feelings. I spent every summer with my grandma telling me that I was too fat and needed to loose weight among other things. This only strengthened my feelings of not being good enough. Throughout my entire childhood my only saving grace was my father, but that didn’t completely drown out the insecurities.

After high school I fell into a tailspin of mentally abusive relationships. When the boyfriend I was living with cheated on me, of course it couldn’t have been him- I wasn’t good enough. I stopped eating in an effort to make myself more attractive. When the relationship ended I once again turned to food, but this time it was my comfort. It seemed like everything was back on track when at 22 I got pregnant with my first child and gained 100 pounds. Given my history I didn’t expect much from the man I was seeing who would later become my husband. He would become my second saving grace. No matter how many times I tried to push him away he never budged. He is the one that encouraged me to pursue school and has kept encouraging me with every bump and doubt throughout. My insecurities specifically body image is still something I struggle with. After 17 years of marriage and 3 kids I still sometimes feel uncomfortable when my husband wraps his arms around me. I may never be completely comfortable in my own skin, but I feel stronger every day.

Those that really know me know that I am not the type of person to share such intimate details into my life. I am sharing my story because I think it’s important for us to understand our own personal relationship with food if we are truly to help others with theirs.

Increasing Women’s Market Share at the Top

How do we cultivate ambitious, leadership-oriented dietitians of the future?

By Katharine Rug

Temperatures warm and flowers bloom, there is no doubt that spring has arrived in St. Louis. The change in temperatures and vegetation mark the beginning of a new season, as well as a signal that the dietetic internship is coming to a close. Just as the bees buzz with excitement for spring, many interns dream of entering into a field they love and paying bills with the compensation they receive. Saint Louis University dietetic interns joined with other local internships on March 26th for “career day.” We received instruction on resume development, interviewing, and even some words of wisdom from professionals in the field. Questions were posed, questions were answered, but leaving career day I felt as if one day could not possibly be enough to equip young professionals with the tools to navigate a saturated job market.

Nonetheless I pondered the words of wisdom we received. Words shared included; job satisfaction above compensation,get your foot in the door, be persistent, and my personal favorite “be fearless.” I thought about the term fearless and the related character attributes of confidence, risk taking, and at times a willingness to “fly by the seat of your pants.” Like a good dietetic intern, I took the inspiration of the day and dove into the research. Some of the questions I want to answer through this post include: What does the employment marketplace look like for women, especially at the senior-executive level management sectors? What factors influence women’s aspirations to become leaders? Are there gender differences and or perceived gender differences that add additional challenges for women entering the c-suite? Finally, tying all these factors together, what areas of professional development can the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics focus on to increase the propensity for dietitians to assume executive leadership roles?

What does the labor marketplace look like for women, especially at the senior and executive management levels?

According to the Center for American Progress women are responsible for earning 60% of undergraduate and master’s degrees, 47% of law degrees and 48% of medical degrees. In totality women compromise 47% of the U.S. labor force and 49% of the college-educated workforce. Though women are now steady stakeholders of the employment and collegiate marketplaces, only 25% of women are executive- or senior-level officials and managers, 20% are board-members, and most importantly only 6% of CEOs are women.

If my fellow interns assigned me a superlative it would state  “person most likely to quote a recent NPR article, show, or podcast and/or person most likely to bring up campaign finance issues in a public setting,” but nevertheless the point is that in a recent NPR series of Freakanomics Radio titled The Secret Life of CEOs, host Stephen Dunbar explored what it takes to be a CEO of a Fortune 500 company. One particular expert titled After the Glass Ceiling, a Glass Cliff examined the phenomenon that occurs when the 5-6% of women actually do become CEOs. This phenomena is referred to as the Glass Cliff, meaning female CEOs are significantly more likely to be given the job if the ship is sinking (After the Glass Ceiling, a Glass Cliff). The episode concluded that women in leadership are subjected to greater critique from shareholders, frequent challenges to their authority, as well as less praise for saving the ship from total destruction. Psychologists and CEOs featured in the episode point to the natural tendency for women to be risk averse, lack self-confidence, and the fact that women are held to significantly higher standards as compared to their male counterparts as reasoning to why women do not rise to the top of the employment pyramid. Several female CEOs, including the likes of Pepsico CEO Indra Nooyi and Ex-CEO for Yahoo, Carol Burtz, also pointed to the “old boys club” infrastructure of middle and upper management and the blockade it often puts in place for the elevation of female leaders.

What factors influence women’s aspirations to become leaders?

A 2017 report by Egon Zehnder titled Leaders & Daughters: Cultivating the Next Generation identified that 74% of young female respondents aspired to reach executive level leadership. Of the greatest influencers for professional development, women ranked mothers as one of the key components of success, as well as the influence and support of fathers and husbands. This relationship between mothers and daughters also appears to be strengthening in the younger generation of respondents. Additionally, this study examined the role of mentorship as a provision of support to women. 55% of women reported having a senior mentor or manager acting as an advocate for their professional growth instilled a sense of confidence. Though providing maternal figures is not currently part of the Academy’s member benefits, providing platforms for mentorship, as well as advocating for work-life balance for women seeking leadership and family-life has the potential to impact current and future dietitians.

Are there gender differences and or perceived gender differences that add additional challenges for women entering the c-suite?

If you weren’t aware, there are significant gender discrepancies in risk taking behaviors, as well as confidence ratings between men and women. Men are significantly more likely to take part in risk-related behaviors in the domains of health/safety, financial, recreational and ethical decision making as compared to females (Harris, Jenkins,& Glaser, 2006). Along with being risk averse, a recent Harvard study demonstrated that women are less confident than men in their ability to answer questions accurately and women are also less likely to provide answers that strongly agree or disagree (Sarsons & Xu, 2015). In this case, acknowledgment is power and helping women to understand these potential challenges (whether innate or socially constructed) can equip women with the tools to propel themselves forward into the executive levels that they desire.

What areas of professional development can the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and Dietetic Internships focus on to increase the propensity for dietitians to assume executive leadership roles?

1.       Increase student awareness of the Academy’s mentoring program. The Academy offers students and professionals with the opportunity to network and gain a mentor/mentee relationship by matching individuals based on area of practice, interests, and aspirations.

2.       Utilize the Academy’s Diversity Mentoring Toolkit. Did you know that of the 100,000 RDs/RDNs in the United States, 76% are white, 11% are unreported or prefer not to disclose, and 9% are individuals of color? It’s 2018, increasing racial diversity is good for our profession, it’s great for our patients, and it’s what we need to move forward.

3.       Think outside of clinicals. Though dietetic internships are a combination of community, food service, and clinical rotations the largest emphasis always seems to fall on clinical nutrition. Perhaps it is the allure of the white coat or the fact that we spend a lot of time committing ourselves to clinical practice, but the world of leadership and dietetics is much broader than hospital walls. Providing dietetic interns with the opportunity to see what the profession looks like in executive leadership roles could provide young professionals with inspiration to create a path to the C-suite.

4.       Leadership skills are not developed through PowerPoint presentations. Academia has a propensity to utilize class presentations as a means to develop “leadership skills.” I am a firm believer in the use of such presentations to increase an individual’s comfort in front of an audience, but true leadership skills require the development of critical thinking, confidence, and risk taking behaviors (most often under pressure). Therefore….

5.       Role playing isn’t just for practicing patient interactions. Role playing future employment conversations such as goal setting, self-advocacy for increase responsibility, and salary negotiations are just a few scenarios that could be worked through with dietetic interns or young professionals seeking advancement in their field.

As a final point to ponder, I would like to take a minute to acknowledge that this fight for leadership has been long fought by the women that have come before me. Many women have endured bias, harassment, disrespect, and much more. While the fight continues, I would also like to put a final spotlight on women of color. Women of color share the smallest portion of leadership roles in our employment marketplace, despite numerous studies pointing to the importance and benefits of both gender and racial diversity in the workforce. As we march forward together, let us continue the movement towards the top, making sure to advocate for all women and call out discrimination in all forms. I love this profession and I believe that the capabilities of the women in this field are endless. To that end, I believe that a profession comprised of 95% female members should work tirelessly to insure that women are able to elevate themselves to the level of leadership they desire.

References

EgonZehnder (2017). Leaders & Daughters Global Survey 2017

Jenkins, M., Harris, C., & Glaser, D. (2006). Gender Differences in Risk Assessment: Why do women take fewer risks than men?. Judgement and Decision Making 1(1). 

Sarsons, H.,& Xu, G. (2015) Confidence Men? Gender and Confidence: Evidence among Top Economists.

Infographics & Photos

3 Barriers: Center for Creative Leadership

Breakdown of RDs & RDNs by Race: The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Commission of Dietetic Registration

We Can Do It: http://www.alinaanjum.com/2017/08/16/an-inferiority-complex/

Stand Up For Your Profession

By Allison Scherer

It’s match day and you matched. Congrats! The stress is over. You have yourself a celebratory drink with friends as a feeling of extreme pride now washes over you. You beat the competitive 50/50 odds of even being placed and are on your way towards becoming a registered dietitian. This credential is something you’ve been studying for, volunteering for, (maybe) brown-nosing (a bit), and gaining every experience you possibly could for four (or more) straight years.

Fast-forward to your first clinical rotation: Walking through those hospital doors proudly wearing your freshly pressed white lab coat, and your food-themed badge reel on your lapel, you can’t help but exude confidence, especially when people accidentally mistake you for a doctor or speech pathologist or endocrinologist. Feelings of excitement and nervousness make their appearances as you are about to meet your preceptor – and those feelings become even stronger as you now are about to see your first patient. Mid-diabetes education, there’s a knock on the door. In walks the doctor who says: “I’m sure what you have to say is important and all, but I’m going to talk to the patient now”.  Welp. Those feelings of excitement and nervousness and pride turn into shame, embarrassment, and anger. Mind you, this doctor was there to confirm the patient’s discharge – not how to nutritionally manage their type 1 diabetes on their own which is something entirely foreign and extremely important for the newly diagnosed patient who’s yet to have any information on carbohydrate counting, insulin injections, or medications at all.

            Sadly, these encounters happen to dietetic interns and dietitians more often than you think but is a topic that hardly comes into conversation when you begin this RD journey. I entered into this profession knowing the importance nutrition plays in preventing life-debilitating diseases…and assuming everyone else knew that as well and held it to the same importance that I did - or at least could be educated by the influential impact the registered dietitian makes. Now, these situations may not happen to every body but they sure aren’t anything new to those in the clinical nutrition field. And I praise those who have never lost sight of who they are as a dietitian or felt feelings of being lost. However, it truly is discouraging when during your whole undergraduate life, dietitians were respected just the same as every other licensed health professional with some sort of higher level education (just as you) who walks through those hospital halls only to be treated as if your major is laughable compared to that of the MD.

Many rotations have passed since the interaction above however, these feelings of unimportance in the health field have continued from site to site and at one point I even dreaded going back through those hospital doors. I’ve gotten used to the fact that our professional opinions are often dismissed or stepped upon by those with reversed credential from our own – “DR” rather than “RD” – and have let myself succumb to thoughts of changing my major or wishing my internship time was over because only then with those two letters behind my name will I feel better. However, instead of continuing to entertain thoughts of changing my major, I decided to change my outlook.

            We have miles to go in the journey of having the clinical dietitian be welcomed and respected as a member of the healthcare team. And while it may take extra effort on our end today, the reality where dietitians are equal members will be realized tomorrow. Advocating for yourself and your profession is vital not only in the clinical realm but in the community, foodservice, athletics, infectious disease, agriculture, policy - anything and everywhere. RD’s are backed with scientific knowledge and rigorous training in how a variety of wholesome, nutritious foods prevents disease and grants some pretty beneficial rewards: lower morbidity and mortality rates, less incidences of chronic disease, lower risk of cancer, weight management, better quality of life, longevity, reversal of inflammation, just to name a few. WE as dietitians understand this – and RDs truly believe the public knows this about but has a hard time accepting it.

            Entering back into the room of the newly diagnosed diabetes patient when I was so rudely interrupted by the doctor, I wanted to respond with “Why yes, it is very important for his health as he heads on home without your invaluable care there to guide him along the way. Give me two minutes to finish up and I’ll be done. Thanks”. But really responded with, “Not a problem, I can come back in a couple minutes”. Maybe I shouldn’t have walked out. Or maybe I should’ve stayed and continued on as he finished up and taught him a little bit about nutrition as he listened. But don’t get frustrated when the patient is back through those ER doors sporting some awful black and green toes and an amputation on the way because he wasn’t educated on how to manage his carbs.

Registered dietitian, RD, RDN, dietetic intern, doctor of food, the “Real Deal” – whatever you call yourself; keep on keeping on, hold your head high, and your nutrition morals strong, because one day we will be the ones educating those MDs who thought chocolate was a vegetable.

Merging Health and Body Positivity:

The Role of the RDN [and Dietetic Intern]

By Hailey Rausch

We live in a world of extremes and hard lines.

All in or all out.

Left or right.

Yes or no.

Fad diet or eating without a care in the world.

We tend to care too much or care far too little. Like many other problems this world faces, this type of mentality leads to detrimental impacts. Current and future registered dietitians face great difficulty when promoting and educating nutrition while maintaining body positivity – two areas of concern that I believe don’t belong as two separate entities, but ought to be united. So, how do we merge these two concepts?

Shifting the frame from weight to health. Yes, we have heard the facts time and time again regarding weight status, BMI, waist circumference, etc. and its impact on our health – but healthy looks different on everyone and it’s about time we embrace it. I know what you’re thinking, what about the people who are indeed embracing body positivity (as they should) but don’t have a clear understanding of what healthy is. This is where it gets a bit challenging. To combat this, eating nutritious food and being active can be promoted and taught in a way that showcases the myriad of health benefits that accompany them regardless of weight status. By taking a step back from the numbers talk, we can start eliminating the harsh extremes of all or none and start practicing moderation – which I believe will not only make us more approachable to obtain nutrition information from, but also will lead to more people wanting to embrace nutrition.

 Practicing mindfulness. Throughout my internship, I have found that even a little mindfulness can go a long way. Be mindful of the fact that what healthy looks like is going to be different from person to person. It is easy to revert to the “move more, eat less” regime, but this is yet again another extreme oversimplification. Additionally, we have been taught that there are no “bad” foods, but it took me a long time to realize that many less healthful foods are marketed in a way to resemble just that: “sinful brownies”. I even catch myself saying things like “dark chocolate is my guilty pleasure”. But why does eating a brownie, or dark chocolate, or whatever it may be, have to have any guilt attached to it? It doesn’t and that’s where we come in. Recognizing that what and how we promote nutrition and provide nutrition education or even how we talk about our own eating habits, whether it be in the hospital or on social media, greatly impacts not only the way others see our profession, but also the way others see themselves.

“It’s hard to do the hard thing. That’s why they call it the hard thing… Working on my ability to consciously be having a positive effect on myself and also on the people and the world around me is really important and I always want to be driving towards that.”

-         Hank Green

Passion for the emerging field in nutrition and dietetics. The thing is, none of this is easy. Shifting the frame from weight to health is going to take a lot of time and work on our part. And being mindful? Well it takes a heck of a lot more brain power. I do believe we can make this shift and work towards uniting the concepts of nutrition, health and body positivity if we do so together. I think it is safe to say that we are all in this profession because we care about people and we care about nutrition. I encourage all of us to let our passion for nutrition and dietetics to fuel our practice, to learn more, to do better and to be better.

Common Misconceptions about Dietitians

By: Alyce Reichenbacher

I love being a part of the dietetics profession and I cannot wait to one day have MS, RD at the end of my name. However, sometimes others make assumptions about my nutritional choices due to my association with dietetics. For example, I will be in line at a buffet and the person in front of me says “don’t judge me, I know it’s bad” as they reach for the chocolate chip cookie at the end of the table. Or I walk into a patient’s room and they refer to me as the “food police.” Or I order boneless buffalo wings with ranch instead of the house salad when I’m out to dinner with friends and get a look from them like wait you eat THAT, I thought you were in dietetics. I’ve started to feel like the average person perceives dietitians as judgemental fitness freaks that force you to eat kale and quinoa for each meal.

No fear, I am here to squash those misconceptions of Registered Dietitians (RDs) and bring some truth to the profession. Here is a list of five commonly faulty thoughts about dietitians.

1. Dietitians eat healthy 100% of the time and think you should too
1. Not everyone is perfect! We all deserve to treat ourselves once in a while and I am a firm believer that we need to feed our body and our soul. Depriving ourselves of things we love is not only torture, but it will most likely force us to binge later on. As dietitians, it is our job to help our clients and patients still eat the foods they love while keeping their body healthy. That advice goes for us, health professionals, as well. I most certainly do not eat healthy for every single meal. What is life without chocolate peanut butter ice cream or a barbeque chicken pizza every once in a while? The most important advice we can give you is to enjoy everything in moderation. When it comes time to have that special treat, appreciate it! Take pleasure in treating yourself to a favorite food on occasion.
2. We know everything when it comes to food
1. As much as I would like to say that statement is true... it is not. Especially as a Dietetic Intern, I feel like I have only scratched the surface on food and nutrition. It is such a vast subject and I have so much more to learn. That being said, eventually we all find our niche. It is common for RDs to specialize in a certain area which can cause them to not stay as up-to-date on information in other areas. For example, a RD who works in an eating disorder facility is not always up to speed on the most recent recommendations in sports nutrition. Because it is such a dense field, we may not be able to answer a specific question right off the bat if it is in an area we are not as familiar with. However, we often know where to find science-based answers or can direct you to someone who can!
3. Our field is “black and white”
1. Is red meat bad for me? Will intermittent fasting help me lose weight? Should I take a multivitamin? Sometimes I struggle when people ask me questions and the answer is often “it depends.” There are so many aspects of a person’s health that you have to consider when talking about nutrition. Every client has different dietary needs, goals, lifestyles, and food preferences. What works for one person most likely will not work for the next. In addition, each RD has their own beliefs and backgrounds. Luckily, we are trained on how to tailor unique advice for every individual using evidence-based research.
4. Dietitians are the same as Nutritionists
1. Registered Dietitian, Nutritionist, Registered Dietitian Nutritionist? It’s confusing to know which term is correct. If someone claims to be a Nutritionist, he/she could be a qualified professional but they could also be someone who took a class or two on health and wellness. There really is no accreditation for being a nutritionist and there is no regulation on who can call themselves nutritionists. Registered Dietitian, Registered Dietitian Nutritionist, RD, RDN, and Dietitian are all ways of saying the same thing. An RDN is someone who has completed a minimum of a bachelor’s degree in nutrition and dietetics, completed an ACEND-accredited supervised practice program (fancy way of saying internship) where we accomplished at least 1,200 hours of supervised practice, and passed a national examination often referred to as the RD exam or CDR. 
5. All we do is meal plan and get people to lose weight
1. That is the same as saying all photographers do is point and shoot; when really, there are countless things that need to happen. The photographer has to find the correct lighting, backgrounds, and position characters the way that best suits how the shot needs to be captured etc. In fact, most dietitians do not create meal plans for their clients. This is because meal plans can be a temporary and unrealistic way of fitting a person’s lifestyle long-term. Our goal is to make life changing and sustaining tweaks to your diet and/or lifestyle in a way that is healthy, maintainable, and individualized to you. Not to mention, RDs work in a vast array of settings. Weight loss is only one area in which they specialize in. Other careers in dietetics can include working in a cancer center helping patients maintain good nutrition to keep fighting, in a children’s hospital calculating tube feedings for kiddos who are too ill to eat, in a private practice setting delivering corporate wellness speeches to big companies, in a food service operation as a chef or menu designer, in a diabetes clinic teaching those newly diagnosed how to work their pumps and count carbohydrates, in a nursing home working to keep the geriatric population happy and healthy, in a OBGYN office providing women with prenatal nutrition, and the list goes on and on. We often wear many hats and our days consist of so much more than typing up meal plans and telling people calories in equals calories out.

I hope these few points help to clear your mind about dietitians and can also allow you see how expansive this profession really is! We are non-judgemental, pro-quality of life individuals just trying to make the world a healthier place, one whole food at a time!

Off the Beaten Path

By Loni Pereszlenyi

The “Controversial” Story of How I Got Here

Caution: Extreme honesty ahead! (As if anyone who knows me expected anything less!)

        Everybody has a reason for choosing his or her life’s work. Think about the multitude of disciplines and the plethora of job titles that can be found under those disciplines. Now, if you are reading this, go ahead and think about why you chose your career. Chances are that for many of you, you realized you had a specific skill set or excelled in one area in one way or another. For those of us in the health professions, chances are we thought a little bit more with our hearts than with our heads. I know for myself in particular, the reason why I wanted to become a registered dietitian was something that is not only personal, but it can be considered controversial, as well - and this is because I am an eating disorder survivor. My mission in life is to help those with eating disorders/disordered eating get to a place of recovery and resiliency, because I was once lost in the depths of this debilitating disease and I’m not only surviving - I’m absolutely thriving. 

So, for those of you who don’t know, I am sure you’re curious as to why my pursuing a career as a registered dietitian would be a topic of controversy. Before I get to that, I’d like to tell you the story of how I got to this point, so that you can have all of the facts before taking a side on the topic.

I was 15 years old and at the end of my sophomore year of high school when I began to starve myself. Many things happened to me as a teenager. Possibly my favorite person ever to exist, my Bubby (for those of you who don’t know what a Bubby is, it’s grandmother in Yiddish - an old time Jewish language of sorts), passed away. I really didn’t know how to deal with that. It was the first loss of that magnitude I had ever experienced. At the same time, I was developing this body that I absolutely hated. I was getting curvier, and my body was changing at an incredible rate. Some people literally used to call me “boobs,” back in high school. It’s all people looked at when they looked at me. I didn’t even know how to dress myself. All of my friends had these tiny bodies, and all I wanted to do was hide away because I was so uncomfortable with myself. I was sad over my Bubby passing, I hated the way I looked, and the only way I knew how to control it was to punish myself for the changes all I was going through. It’s funny to look back on it now, because I was 120 pounds, and I looked good! However, by the start of my junior year, I weighed 90 pounds. I hadn’t had a period for months. My hair was falling out. I was gaunt and had no energy to get through my days at school. I would overhear people at school whispering about how skinny I’d become, and I thrived on it. At the lowest point of my eating disorder, my diet consisted of an apple and a salad to get me through my days. Nobody knew how to approach me about what I was going through. So, my mom took me to my doctor and a dietitian. I was told I’d wind up in the hospital with tubes and needles sticking out of my arms and that I’d die. That scared me enough into eating again. However, my body and metabolism had become so screwed up that I ended up gaining almost 50 pounds back. Even though I gained the “required” weight, my eating disorder was never addressed, leaving it unresolved. I never learned how starving myself affected me physiologically. I never learned how to eat mindfully. I never learned that I was using starvation as a way to not have to deal with any of the changes in my life. Since none of this was addressed, I did not have the proper mechanisms to process the life changes that would inevitably come my way in the future.

Fast forward five years - I was a junior in college majoring in liberal studies. What is liberal studies you ask? It means you have zero clue what you want to pursue as a career. It means that you have to apply to grad school to have more years (and more loans) to figure it all out. It means that you take whatever classes sound good to you. As it was, I was lost. But my friend the eating disorder was sitting on my shoulder like the devil. For almost three years, I dipped into another period of restriction - and this time, excessive exercise - to cope with this new life change. I couldn’t fathom how someone with a college degree just simply could not find her passion. So, I kept my focus on how I was winning this game of restricting food while exercising during all of my free time throughout the day. One day - and I remember this day vividly - I was too tired to work out. I punished myself. I didn’t eat anything but a protein bar that entire day. The next day, I remember turning to my mom and telling her that I was worried because my hair was falling out in clumps. I was anxious because I didn’t want to gain weight, but I knew I was entirely too underweight. I was tired. I was tired of being tired. I knew I had to get help, but I didn’t know if I had the ability or the strength to see it all through. Then came the moment that changed the course of my life; I’m not being dramatic, either - this one moment really changed my life!

I knew dietitians as professionals in working with food. I knew what I was doing by using food restriction as a coping mechanism for life’s changes. I remember finding a particular outpatient dietitian’s website online. I said to my mom - the only person I trusted at the time to know what I was going through - I think I need to call this person for help. Hands down it was the best decision I have ever made. This particular dietitian - we will call her “L” - never gave up on me. Each time we met, L guided me through each appointment in a way that allowed me to talk about what I felt contributed to the patterns I had held onto for years. I never once felt uncomfortable or ashamed in L’s presence, because each session felt like a natural conversation. I felt like for once I was talking to somebody that really understood me. And my eating disorders started to feel like an evil burden on my body.

Now I know what you’re thinking; eating disorder recovery seems so easy. Not so fast. Part of what made L so amazing is that whenever I left each session, I felt encouraged to take the goals we set and work on them. It took me some time to trust in our connection as practitioner and patient, but as I said before, L never gave up on me. If I came back to session and did not complete an assignment or achieve a goal, L held me accountable. In time, by trusting L, I learned to trust myself and the ability I had to make a full recovery. Throughout the recovery process, I reiterated to L that I wanted to take what I’ve learned and help others just like me. I realized that as our sessions became fewer and far between, I was recovering, but the need to help others in my position was not wavering. I realized that I wanted to become an eating disorders dietitian just like L. 

I waited until I felt like I was at a place in my recovery in which I would be able to fully immerse myself into my schoolwork and field experiences, and I made the decision to return to school to pursue a career as a registered dietitian. I worked incredibly hard and received my bachelor’s degree in nutrition and dietetics in 2016, and began my dietetic internship/masters degree at SLU in 2017, focusing on pediatric nutrition. Although it has been an arduous and long journey, I have never lost sight of my goal of becoming an eating disorders dietitian. If I can replicate in the future - even just one time - what L did for me and save even one life .. well, I’d say I’m going to be a damn good eating disorders dietitian.  

So let’s get back to the controversial topic of being an eating disorder survivor and becoming a registered dietitian. It’s very easy to assume that someone who has battled eating disorders will judge their patients. It’s very easy to assume that someone who has once battled eating disorders will relapse again and encourage his or her patients to continue on with their disordered behavior. It’s very easy to assume that counseling and educating eating disorder patients will result in the registered dietitian relapsing into prior behaviors. It’s simply very easy to assume that someone who has battled eating disorders will never fully experience recovery. 

These assumptions are not proven facts. While dietitians who are eating disorder survivors may be at an increased risk of relapsing, this does not mean that they cannot effectively counsel eating disorder patients. I personally know many former alcohol and drug abusers who have made careers out of counseling current alcohol and drug abusers. Therefore, I cannot change your opinion if you’ve already formed one about this topic, but let me be a vocal exception to all of those assumptions. I am an eating disorder survivor and thriver, and I am here to tell you that my MISSION in life is to help my future patients overcome their eating disorders/disordered eating and live, love, and value their lives. I’ve often abided by the poem “The Road Not Taken” by Robert Frost. “Two roads diverged in a wood, and I - I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference.” My “roads” were not about one path vs. another path. I did not choose my eating disorders. However, I wanted to make something out of the path that I took, and hopefully I will make a difference in the paths of those that come after me.

Photo Credit:

https://www.amazon.in/Alter-Ego-Robert-Famous-Inspirational/dp/B01D5WK4FU

One of the 4%

A Male Perspective on Diversity in the Field of Dietetics

By Joseph Nilges

I started out as a culinary student, working my way from job to job on a yearly basis. After competing in a cooking competition and winning a bronze medal, I knew that I had reached new heights in my career, but I didn’t feel like this accomplishment was enough. I soon found the number for the Saint Louis University Nutrition & Dietetics office and transferred into their program the following semester. Now, after 4 consecutive years attending Saint Louis University, I have discovered how little diversity there is within the field of dietetics. 

Coming into dietetics with a culinary background I was always part of the majority, now I am of the smallest minority and adapting to the change was challenging.

One of the 4% reflects how little diversity there really is within the dietetics field. As of February 19, 2018 the Academy of Nutrition & Dietetics reported 3,690 (3.8%) male registered dietitians floating among 88,883 (90.6%) female registered dietitians (RD), leaving 5.6% unreported. Of the total 98,000 registered dietitians white ethnicity represented the majority at 77.8% with unreported coming in 2nd at 7%. Over the next few paragraphs we will discuss why there are not more males in dietetics, barriers that can be challenging for males within the field, and what the future might hold for bringing more males into the profession.

Where Are All The...

The gender discrepancy can be traced back to the 1920’s where therapeutic diet treatments were entrusted to senior hospital nurses who had developed certain skills. Nursing had risen to become a female profession until recently, so it is not surprising that males do not make a majority. There are many different reasons why we do not see more male dietitians in the field, one of them being that the educational pipeline that helps drive interest in the field of dietetics does not start early enough within the school system. The educational pipeline refers to the integrated system of institutions from primary school to university that seeks to attract students to colleges with a goal of attaining the skilled individuals in the workforce. 

The Academy of Nutrition & Dietetics noted that active, committed participation with academia is crucial for addressing the low percentage of diversity in dietetics. This participation is negatively influenced by parental and peer group perceptions of college attendance often based on financial measures, substandard academic preparation, lack of support among teachers and guidance counselors who have lower academic expectations, inadequate guidance through college planning and financial aid process, perceptions of dietetics being a “woman” field, lower salary received for amount of education involved, and difficulty among some groups of academic requirements to name a few.  

“People still see dietitians as hairnet-wearing women who act as food police. There are also things that prevent men from entering dietetics such as low pay for dietitians” – Rick Hall, MS, RD Arizona State University

Overcoming Difficulty

Men that are thinking about entering the field of dietetics I have some personal advice for you. First off, be prepared to have feeling of being different and finding personal identity. Second, be prepared to adapt to the profession through different means of communication with the female majority. Third, be prepared to stand out among the profession. 

1.              Be prepared to have feelings of being different and finding personal identity.

Being a male in dietetics can have its difficulties. I have personally felt the feeling of

being different and finding my place within the profession during my undergraduate and graduate degrees at Saint Louis University. I commonly have felt disconnection with my class mates and coworkers based on the fact that I am male and women interact differently with one another. Often I have found myself conforming to the norms of the dietetics profession, such as personally feeling more pressure from preceptors to perform at a specific level. 

2.          Be prepared to adapt to the current norms.

Often I have found myself feeling like I was alone and conforming myself to fit the norms of the female dominated dietetics profession. I found that a strong sense of self -identity, self-awareness, and open communication with peers were the best ways for myself to overcome this barrier. Surrounding myself with a strong support system of friends and family was also beneficial for me to confront my disconnect  with feeling of being an outsider.

3.        Be prepared to stand out among the profession and bring a voice.

Being able to stand out for males seems to be easier and can have advantages although performance standards seem to be heightened for male students. The opportunities for males within dietetics are continually growing, so employers want to assure that if they hire a male dietitian they will bring new ideas to the table, which could put more pressure on male dietitians. There is also a need for males to project their voice to help to bring more males into the dietetics profession. Bringing a voice and advocating for more males in the profession is an important part of being a minority in any profession to help increase diversity in the field. 

Passion seems to be one of the drivers of success for males in the dietetics. 

Future of male involvement in dietetics

The most important influence for diversity in dietetics is to involve more stakeholders into the equation including: parents, students, teachers, counselors, teaching programs, and advising boards and governmental officials alike that can influence policy change to introduce greater involvement of nutrition education and knowledge of dietetics. It is important that male dietitians project a voice to appeal for more men recruitment, but it is not only the responsibility of the minority groups to do so. Everyone along the institutional learning process must get involved and work together to change the future generation of practitioners. 

References:

Eat right ™. Commission on Dietetic Registration the credentia ling agency for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. (2018, February 19). Retrieved February 26, 2018, from https://www.cdrnet.org/registry-statistics?id=2579&actionxm=ByDemographics

Flowers in the urinal: Is the lack of men in dietetics really an issue? (2015, October 15). Retrieved February 26, 2018, from https://www.dietitians.ca/Learn/Practice-Blog/October-2015/Flowers-in-the-urinal-Is-the-lack-of-men-in-diete.aspx

Lordly, D., Gheller, B., & Joy, P. (2017). Becoming and being a male dietitian in a female dominated dietetics profession. Retrieved February 24, 2018, from http://eds.b.ebscohost.com/abstract?site=eds&scope=site&jrnl=14863847&AN=124595822&h=r%2faMJj0l1muk%2faCdmmiA0kBioVQ8bSKyFJwV%2fywGf0Q8lwV43PckvpDVyLu6ZJDGeMxELgRkAjpYJCRSK9BNjA%3d%3d&crl=c&resultLocal=ErrCrlNoResults&resultNs=Ehost&crlhashurl=login.aspx%3fdirect%3dtrue%26profile%3dehost%26scope%3dsite%26authtype%3dcrawler%26jrnl%3d14863847%26AN%3d124595822

Stein, K. (2018). The Educational Pipeline and Diversity in Dietetics. [online] jandonline.org. Available at: http://jandonline.org/article/S2212-2672(12)00481-9/fulltext [Accessed 26 Feb. 2018].

Images are credited to google images and personal photos.