American Dietetic Association

The American Dietetic Association (ADA) was founded in 1917 by a group of women, including Lenna F. Cooper and Lulu C. Graves (the first president of ADA), who were dedicated to improving public health and nutrition and aiding the government in conserving food during World War I. Today, the ADA has approximately 65,000 members and is the largest organization of food and nutrition professionals in the United States. About 75 percent of ADA members are registered dietitians; other members include registered dietetic technicians, clinical and community dietetics professionals, educators and researchers, nutritionists, food service managers, and students. The ADA headquarters is located in Chicago, Illinois, and the organization also maintains a Washington, D.C. office. In addition, there are state dietetic associations in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, and the American Overseas Dietetic Association.

ADA's mission is to lead the future of dietetics and to help people enjoy healthy lives. They have identified five areas of critical concern: obesity and overweight, particularly in children; healthy aging; ensuring a safe, sustainable, and nutritious food supply; nutrigenetics and nutrigenomics; and integrative medicine, including alternative medicine and nutritional supplements.

The Commission on Accreditation for Dietetics Education (CADE) is the ADA's accrediting agency, which establishes and enforces eligibility requirements and accreditations standards for educational program that train students for careers as registered dietitians (RDs) and dietetics technicians. In order to become an RD, a person must hold a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university including course work approved by CADE, complete a CADE-accredited supervised practice program which typically lasts 6 to 12 months, and pass a national examination administered by the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR). Dietetics technicians, registered (DTRs), must hold at least a two-year associate's degree from an accredited college or university, complete a CADE-approved dietetic technician program including 450 hours of supervised practice, and pass a national examination administered by CADE. Both RDs and CDRs must complete continuing professional education requirements in order to maintain their registration.

The Journal of the American Dietetic Association (JADA), published monthly by Elsevier, is the official journal of the ADA. JADA is a peer-reviewed journal and is the most widely read professional publication in dietetics; its scope includes nutritional science, medical nutrition therapy, public health nutrition, food science and biotechnology, foodservice systems, leadership and management, and dietetics education.

The ADA issued a position paper in 2002, available from the ADA Web site, stating that obesity is epidemic in the United States; that obesity was harmful to health and increasing obesity is a public health concern; that successful weight management requires lifestyle modifications which include healthy eating habits and physical activity; that weight loss interventions should focus on prevention of weight [Page 26]gain as well as total weight loss; and that weight loss interventions should be evaluated for their success in producing sustained, rather than merely short-term, weight loss.