Kevin Klatt, PhD, RD

I've mentioned before that I'm currently in the process of obtaining both my PhD and the Registered Dietitian (RD) credential. In my opinion, both are very complementary degrees that can inform/influence each other in a positive way, to make one both a better scientist and a clinician. However, at times, they clash - scientific idealism doesn't always align with clinical realism, and vice versa. My current internal monologue/debate really heated up these past couple weeks, with the release of these two seemingly contradictory articles: 1 . For the first report, see here . Dr Yoni Freedhoff, whose blog is a really great read, pointed out a number of somewhat troubling tweets from RD's at the F3K conference. The RD's took to the usual mantra of needing to work with the food industry, and tried to absolve the sins of processed foods. To quote one RD's twitter, "Healthy eating requires - balance of foods, right portions, & proper prep. Don't worry a...

There's a huge debate that goes on, seemingly behind the scenes, regarding who can counsel when it comes to nutrition - for a good read on the issue, see here  and here . Sure, everyone has an opinion on how to eat (because we all eat!), but that opinion can become dangerous when individuals have medical conditions that require specific diets - this is the whole reason there are Registered Dietitians. I have a lot of thoughts on the issue in general, as well as Academy sponsorship by big food, but for now, let's stick to counseling. In the alternative health field, one of the biggest topics to discuss is the controversy over saturated fat and dietary cholesterol. The current dietary recommendations set down by the Institute of Medicine have placed limits on the amount of cholesterol (<300mg) and saturated fat (<7% calories) that should be consumed in the diet. In response to this, the alternative health/low-carb/Paleo/high-fat movements have responded with some evidence...