Sonja L. Connor

Preceptors Enrich Practice, Profession

Sonja L. Connor A T THE2014 FOOD&NUTRITION Conference & Expo (FNCE), I spoke at the Opening Session on the indispensable role of preceptors in guiding the next generation of nutrition and dietetics practitioners. “As we honor our past,” I said, “we look towards the future and generations to come. I hope each of you will become a preceptor. My life has been so enriched by every dietetic intern I have had the pleasure of introducing to my exciting research practice area.”

Solving Our Patients’ Nutrition Problems

Sonja L. Connor PATIENTS ARE INCREASINGLY more complex and yet, as a profession, we must continue to prove our effectiveness in solving our patients’ nutrition problems. One way in which we can do this is by incorporating the Nutrition Care Process and Terminology (NCPT) into our dietetics practice. Implementing the NCPT leads to consistency in practice and makes outcomes research possible. Adopting the process and terminology empowers us to remain competitive with other health disciplines that use a standardized process and terminology and produce outcomes data.

Responsibilities, Resources, and Challenges

Sonja L. Connor I Academy President for 20142015. Two life experiences are key to the thinking I bring to this esteemed office. First, I grew up on the plains of western Kansas in the 1950s, where my mother ran a diner. I always said, “No matter what I do in life, to be sure, itwill havenothing todowith food.” Second, I had the great fortune to spend all 40 years of my professional life in a group that thought outside the box and did cutting-edge research on coronary risk factors and n-3 fatty acids—first on lipids and thrombosis, and then on the developing brain and retina from monkeys to term and preterm infants that contributed to the addition of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) to infant formulas. We were always challenged to do more than we ever thought we could do—so we did. My primary responsibility as president is to focus the efforts of our Board of Directors and CEO, Pat Babjak, on setting the strategic direction for the Academy, and ensuring the Academy’s goals are being achieved and that we are financially strong. It is my vision that the Board will refine the Academy’s strategic direction by having fierce conversations that result in:

Licensure Sets Standards, Protects the Public

Sonja L. Connor ALTHOUGH IT SEEMS LIKE JUST yesterday, 27 years ago I volunteered to lead the effort to achieve licensure for dietitians in Oregon. Two years later, in 1989, our dream was realized. Our licensure law, although not specific, affords Oregon dietitians a broad scope of practice. Licensure has helped us ensure public safety by requiring strict standards for licensed dietitians. Dietetics licensure matters more than most of us realize:

Our challenge to industry and to each other.

Sonja L. Connor IN THE BEGINNING, FOOD WAS what was available to eat—and humans had to expend considerable energy to get that food. With time, education, and curiosity, we began to experiment and create foods I call “science wonders” that were not limited to basic sustenance—chips, soda, chocolate, wine, beer, and olive and other oils, to name a few. People liked them! So more and more (and more) were created. Over time, these “science wonders,” many of which were calorically dense, became a major part of people’s diets. Other innovations—the car, the TV, the computer, and other labor-saving devices (we don’t even have to move our toothbrushes)—led to people engaging in less physical activity. We didn’t get into this situation intentionally. Food manufacturers did not plan to create foods that, when eaten in inordinate amounts, would result in obesity. Other industries did not have a plan to create appliances and conveniences that would result in people moving less. We eat these foods and use our cars, TVs, computers, and electric toothbrushes because they make our lives easier, freeing up our time to have fun with our families and friends—and do good works. We now live in the first time in human history in which there has been any need for people to make conscious decisions about what and how much to eat, and what and how much physical activity to engage in. Our society is in danger of being bankrupted by the financial and personal costs of obesity, diabetes, and other chronic diseases.

Our Academy’s First Hundred Years—and the Next

Sonja L. Connor DIETETICS IS A PROFESSION born out of national emergency: the need to conserve food and feed our troops during World War I. Our association was founded in 1917 as the American Dietetic Association by brave and bold womenwho at the time didn’t have the right to vote, but they had the right idea about the importance of nutrition to the success and survival of our military and our country’s citizens. And since then, we have grown to become the largest organization of food and nutrition professionals in the world.

Academy deliverables: GENIE.

Sonja L. Connor D orientation for incoming Academy committee chairs, we spent productive time discussing committee deliverables: the products and services the Academy created for members in the last year. The total number of deliverables was impressive: 33 products and 26 programs were developed; 16 services were provided; 22 articles were published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (including position and practice papers); 25 communications disseminated to inform members; and 10 actions taken to support membership. As I wrote last month, it is my goal in this year’s President’s Pages to showcase these products and services and to inspire all Academy members to take advantage of them. This month, I want to tell you about an amazing new tool that is sure to become the gold standard for planning nutrition education programs. It’s called GENIE.