It should not be illegal to speak
about nutrition and diet.
But this
may soon be the case if we don’t act now!
There currently exists an idiotic Nutrition and Dietetics
Law in Michigan that would outlaw anyone but Registered Dietitians from
discussing nutrition and diet with the public. Running afoul of this law
could cost one fines of thousands of dollars and result in a jail
sentence. This would mean that your doctor or favorite pharmacist (wink
wink) could not talk to you about important health information. Can you
imagine—someone going to jail because he/she recommended a particular diet or
supplement to somebody?
This law needs to be repealed—NOW!
Need more convincing? The Michigan Dietetic Association is
sponsored by McDonalds (just scroll down to the bottom of their homepage).
I am not minimizing the education and healthcare
contributions of Registered Dietitians . In fact, I often
refer patients to Dietitians . What I and others have pointed out is
that the discussion of nutrition and diet should not be limited to one trade
group.
The ridiculous Michigan Dietetics Licensure Law may finally
be repealed. The repeal passed the Michigan House last year. The
Senate Regulatory Reform Committee passed HB 4688 Repeal of the Dietetics
Licensure Law last week. The Michigan Senate will be voting on it this week.
Why should we care if we don't live there? These things have to start somewhere. Don't doubt for a second that once someone figures out have to make money from a law like this, it will spread like wildfire. What do you think will happen to the cost of supplements if every one that currently carries them has to hire a Registered Dietitian?
It is important to make your views known. Residents of
Michigan need to call their Senator and tell him/her to vote “yes” on HB
4688. They can find their Senator here: http://www.senate.michigan.gov/findyoursenator/byaddress.htm?utm_source=Senate+Vote%2C+Last+Hurdle&utm_campaign=House+Votes+to+Repeal&utm_medium=email
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