Position of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics: The Role of Nutrition in Health Promotion and Chronic Disease Prevention

It is the position of theAcademyofNutrition andDietetics that primary prevention is the most effective and affordablemethod to prevent chronic disease, and that dietary intervention positively impacts health outcomes across the life span. Registered dietitians and dietetic technicians, registered are critical members of health care teams and are essential to delivering nutrition-focused preventive services in clinical and community settings, advocating for policy and programmatic initiatives, and leading research in disease prevention and health promotion. Health-promotion and disease-prevention strategies are effective at reducingmorbidity andmortality and improvingquality of life, and have a significant impact on the leading causes of disease. By applying these principleswithin a social ecological theoretical framework, positive influence can be applied across the spectrum of engagement: at intrapersonal, interpersonal, institutional, community, and public policy levels. Through the application of efficacious and cost-effective interventions, registered dietitians and dietetic technicians, registered, can positively impact public health as well as health outcomes for the individuals that they counsel. This position paper supports the “Practice Paper of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics: The Role of Nutrition in Health Promotion and Chronic Disease Prevention” published on the Academy’s website at: www.eatright.org/positions. POSITION STATEMENT It is the position of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics that primary prevention is the most effective and affordable method to prevent chronic disease, and that dietary intervention positively impacts health outcomes across the life span. Registered dietitians and dietetic technicians, registered, are critical members of health care teams and are essential to delivering nutrition-focused preventive services in clinical and community settings, advocating for policy and programmatic initiatives, and leading research in disease prevention and health promotion. J Acad Nutr Diet. 2013;113:972-979. T HIS POSITION PAPER SUPPORTS the “Practice Paper of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics: The Role of Nutrition in Health Promotion and Chronic Disease Prevention” published July 2013 on the Academy website at: www. eatright.org/positions. For several decades, the evidence demonstrating that many chronic diseases are preventable through lifestyle has been mounting and now is strong, compelling, andwarrants action. As risk factors and subsequent diseases can begin early in life, health promotion and disease prevention (HPDP) efforts are imperative for delaying premature death, improving quality of life, and lessening the economic burden on the health care system. A healthy lifestyle is a cornerstone of these efforts. A systematic review of published reports has demonstrated the essential role of primary prevention in improving longevity and quality of life and in delaying health