r/dietetics • u/yeah_write_00 • 5h ago
If I were at FNCE this year, these are the 2 things I would do in an attempt to improve our profession
For starters I’m not going to FNCE and don’t think I’ll ever be going to FNCE again unless the Academy has a major shift in their polices and operations. But it’s crossed my mind, what if I went, what would I do, how would I use that as an opportunity to try and highlight what needs to change within the Academy. I see the dietitians leaving the field, fewer students entering the field, and a continued low confidence in the Academy’s ability to secure the future of the profession. But if I paid all that money to be at FNCE, this central conference for the profession, I wouldn’t want to miss a chance to take impactful actions that might help put the Academy on a better path. It would in fact be optimism driving my actions, that things could be turned around.
#1
If I were going to FNCE I would for starters, ask every person in Academy leadership positions that I encountered: Where is the Academy annual financial report? The last one made available online was the 2023-2024 Annual Reports. This covered the fiscal year between June 1, 2023, and May 31, 2024. That’s right we are 2 years past this! You could argue the 2026 annual report is due by the end of this year which would cover June 2025 – May 2026, but wait, the whole 2025 annual report covering fiscal year June 2024 – May 2025 is MISSING!
Why does the Academy no longer release an annual report? What don’t they want me, you, or anyone else who can read to know at least the basics of their financials? Is this the kind of action that has any rational justification, maybe, but why wouldn’t you explain it then? Every person and institution paying money to the Academy, which includes all dietitians who pay CDR fees, all Academy members who pay even more, and also the public who are told this public intuition should be trusted, well for all of us where is the report?
See Academy, the APA did it audited-financial-statement-2025.pdf, the AMA did it 2025 AMA Annual Report | AMA, the APHA did it Financial Statements 06-30-2025 Audit Final.pdf, the APTA did it APTA 2025 Annual Report, they released their 2025 annual reports, why didn’t you?
So I would ask the leadership of the Academy, the same people who are going to tell me to give to the Academy, give more money, give more time, give, give, give. I would like those people to just answer, where is the 2025 annual report for the fiscal year that ended in May 2025 and when can we expect the 2026 report for the fiscal year that ended in May 2026? Simple question, right?
I would ask anyone I encounter from the Executive Leadership Team and the Board of Directors, or any DPG leaders, state Academy leadership team members as well. And their answers should tell you exactly how leadership holds itself and the Academy accountable, why they lose respect among dietitians and the public concerning financial matters and accountability, especially concerning money coming in from sponsors/donors, which leads to…….
#2
If I were at FNCE I would boycott the Expo. I know, for shame and miss the samples? What would I do without 5 more tote bags? In all seriousness, I get there are valuable interactions that happen at the Expo. There are organizations there who are bringing awareness to products and services that dietitians use, but, and this is a big but, you don’t often change injustices without being willing to withhold something that comes at a cost to yourself, but a bigger cost to the people who you are trying to change. Look at any social justice movement, little happens without some sacrifice.
Well, if I wasn’t going to get my samples of the latest Orgain shake flavors and coupons for Mrs. Dash then what would I be gaining by boycotting the Expo? To cut to the heart of it, the Academy doesn’t care that a whole lot of us, I suspect the majority of dietitians, disagree with many of the Academy’s choices concerning corporate money. Us saying this, the public sayings this, journalist saying this, it’s all disregarded by the flow of money from multiple companies who not only poorly represent the values and mission of our profession, but seem to diminish the public perception of dietitians, and reduce trust in our profession’s guidance due to the appearance of conflicts of interest which are worsened when those conflicts of interest are not disclosed. I would say as far as some of the AI/telehealth companies outright endanger the profession. Boycotting the Expo, well that will make the Expo vendors not happy. That will jeopardize if those Expo vendors want to pay next year to be at the Expo, and make the Academy question what would dietitians do next, boycott FNCE entirely? See, boycotting the Expo that gets to the heart of what the Academy pays attention to, an important revenue stream.
Keep in mind the Expo is just one of many entry points for money to flow into FNCE (if you want a better picture check out FNCE 2026 Sponsorship and Branding Prospectus), and beyond FNCE they are so many ways that companies give money, sorry “engage” with the Academy 2026 Academy Engagement Opportunities , Academy Spokespeople Sell Sheet , Monthly Spotlight Email Series , Academy Education On Demand Sponsorship Prospectus 2026 It may take more to move leadership to actually consider changing how it approaches financial ties to industries, but perhaps it would be enough to help voices be heard within the Academy that have already been saying this but are disregarded.
So that would be my planned FNCE experience, and I would probably have gone if I knew that it was more than me making the Academy answer for their lack of financial transparency and poor choices with industry ties. Hopefully then seeing a major change in the direction of the Academy for the better because they know dietitians don't just ask for this accountability, but they are willing to demand it. Well, who knows maybe next year.