As defined in the bill, this includes but is not limited to nutritional assessment and diagnosis, nutrition intervention; nutrition support and nutritional counseling and education. The bill applies sanctions to persons who practice nutrition "whether compensated or not," unless that person holds a valid license.

While the bill does not prohibit individuals who do not hold themselves out to be dietitians or nutritionists from furnishing nutritional information, it does prohibit the use of any "title, designation, words, letters, abbreviations or insignia indicating the practice of dietetics or nutrition."

According to the bill’s supporters, the measure’s purpose is the protection of public health by establishing standards of qualification for practice. That is, regrettably, for public consumption. The actual reasons for the bill’s introduction are far less benign.

As increasing numbers of the lay public have come to understand, nutrition is of paramount importance in the maintenance, preservation and restoration of good health, and thus nutritional counseling has come to have an ever-greater economic impact in the health care marketplace, an impact which certain vested interests understandably have in controlling. The bill requires that candidates for licensure either be credentialed by the Committee on Dietetic Registration of the American Dietetic Association or be credential-eligible.

Many health professionals who are not and do not wish to become associated with the American Dietetic Association are engaged in the provision of nutritional counsel, including chiropractors, naturopathic physicians, holistic health counselors, acupuncture practitioners, nutritionists with varying professional affiliations and others engaged in kindred fields of activity.

I strongly urge readers to communicate their opposition to this unwanted and unnecessary bill to their representatives in the state Legislature.