“Men are absolutely considered a minority in dietetics,” says Kyle Warner Shadix, CCC, MS, RD, founder of the National Organization of Men in Nutrition (NOMIN). In 2001, at the American Dietetic Association (ADA) conference, Shadix attended a workshop to learn about a diversity mentoring toolkit known as the “Building Our Future Mentor Program Toolkit.” He noticed, in the toolkit’s language, that the ADA did not consider men a minority. According to the ADA, as reported in the 1999 membership database, men accounted for only 2.6% of the association’s 40,730 members. Of the total membership, 5.4% were Asian/Pacific Islander, 2.4% were African American, 0.2% were Native American, 2.0% were Hispanic, and 89.9% were Caucasian. “Ultimately,” he says, “about 90% of all dietitians are white and female.” Considering the statistics regarding ethnicities and minorities, Shadix firmly supports the necessity to create a more diverse membership in the organization but feels men should also be included in these efforts.

Historically, the field of dietetics is rooted in cooking, feeding, and nourishing people, which, through the ages, have been considered primarily feminine activities, according to Martin M. Yadrick, MS, MBA, RD, FADA, marketing manager for Computrition Inc., a California-based provider of integrated foodservice and nutrition management software systems. “In the past,” he says, “men were not interested in cooking and food preparation.” Over the past several decades, however, these roles have begun to break down in most professions. “There are women in professions that were traditionally male-dominated, so it’s only logical the reverse would occur,” Yadrick explains. Additionally, there has always been a lack of awareness about what dietitians actually do, he adds. “When men are trying to decide what they want to study in school, the thought of becoming a dietitian often doesn’t enter their minds because it’s just not a profession they are aware of,” he notes. “Men tend to be drawn to the more mainstream, male-dominated professions. In fact, if my older sister had not been a dietitian, I’m not sure how much I would have known about the profession.”

Dietetics, through the years, has functioned as an Allied Health profession, playing a supporting role in medicine, according to Charles Mueller, PhD, RD, CNSD, CDN, at the General Clinical Research Center, Weill Cornell Medical College. Because physicians were predominantly male until the last half of the 20th century, supporting roles such as nursing and dietetics were often filled by women. “In the medical world, as with all predominantly male professions, that has been changing rapidly,” Mueller says. “This is especially true in pediatrics and internal medicine, but even in neurosurgery and some of the more male-dominated enclaves of medical practice.” Has this translated to an increase in the number of men in traditionally female-dominated fields such as dietetics? “I have not seen a trend toward an increase in the number of male dietitians,” Mueller says. “In fact, there has really been no change in the 15 years since I entered the profession. I don’t feel overlooked or handicapped as a man in this field, but every now and then I do feel a little like a fish out of water.”

Many men are discouraged from entering the field because of the low pay associated with dietetics, says Steven Yannicelli, PhD, RD, director, continuing education, Pharmavite LLC, in Northridge, Calif. “Dietitians are notoriously poorly paid in comparison to other healthcare professionals,” he says. “This is a catch-22 situation: To recruit more men, you need to offer better pay. But to get better pay, the profession would probably need to recruit more men.” Yannicelli clearly states that he agrees that the discrepancies between male and female salary rates are unfair, but the fact remains that they do exist. “In clinical nutrition in particular, the pay is often quite low,” he adds. “In a society in which men have historically been the breadwinners, it has been difficult for them to support their families while working in low-paid professions.”

Money is a tremendous obstacle, Mueller agrees, adding that dietitians usually start out at a salary level approximately $10,000 to $15,000 lower than registered nurses. “RNs don’t need to have a bachelor’s degree; they are only required to have a two-year nursing degree, though many do go on to get their bachelor’s,” he says. “In dietetics, though, all of us have our bachelor’s, and at least 50% have a master’s degree. We are at a higher level of education than RNs, but starting out at a far lower pay level. Right away, from the very beginning, money is a problem.” To add insult to injury, reimbursement has been a continuing problem for RDs, whose contributions to wellness and disease prevention are often overlooked by the healthcare insurance industry.

Because of the low pay associated with it, clinical practice tends to be less attractive to men considering dietetics as a profession, Yannicelli says. In fact, of the 2.6% of male ADA members, he notes, less than 1% are involved in clinical practice. There are many other options and niches populated by male RDs, however. “A large number of male RDs go into the foodservice industry,” he continues. “In foodservice, especially at the managerial level, RDs work for corporations, and that’s where the money is.” Male RDs, he adds, also tend to be drawn toward sports nutrition or scientific research.

Would having more men involved in the field of dietetics have a positive impact on salary scales? Quite possibly, according to Wahida Karmally, MS, RD, CDE, ADA spokesperson and director of nutrition at Columbia University’s Institute of Human Nutrition in New York City. “In every field, men make more money than women, with the exception of universities, where they get the same pay. If more men join our ranks and make more demands, it will result in a higher pay scale,” she explains. In clinical practice, in particular, male RDs could have the same effect an influx of male nurses had on nursing’s salary scale. Higher pay would be welcome, she continues, but most dietitians go into the field because they enjoy the diversity of career opportunities and the personal rewards of helping others. “Men and women become dietitians because they like what they do. It’s not just working in hospitals anymore. Now they can write, conduct research, work in public health or the corporate arena, or go into teaching.” Pay is less important, she stresses, than job satisfaction.

It is quite possible to enjoy a challenging and fulfilling career as a male in the dietetics industry, according to Alan Lee, RD, CDN, CFT, nutrition & fitness consultant for Astor Medical Group, LLP and Crossroads Medical Research Inc., and president-elect, Greater New York Dietetic Association. “Being male as a gimmick to get a job, contract, or speaking engagement will take you only so far,” he warns. Although male RDs tend to stand out and attract attention, whether because of their gender or the fact that they are few and far between, in the end it is knowledge and personal worth that will ensure continued success. “Our American Dream ideology tells us that it is our goal in life to transcend class barriers,” Lee continues. “Because of this, prospective students looking into the field of nutrition will find the pay low in comparison with other healthcare jobs and think twice about it. It is important that they understand they can be financially successful with the right mindset and networking skills.”

Standing out in a primarily female profession provides male RDs with a good opportunity to stand up and be heard, says Yadrick. “We certainly get noticed. I experienced that during my internship, and it wasn’t always a bad thing,” he adds. “Certainly, if you are the only male, you are likely to be scrutinized a little more, but it can also work in your favor.” If a male RD desires a volunteer leadership role with the ADA, state association, or local district, for example, he is likely to be noticed among those with whom he is competing. “If you do well in those positions, you are more likely to be asked to become more involved,” he adds. “I’m certainly not saying that doesn’t happen to women, too. But, as the only man in your local district of 80 to 100 RDs, most of them will probably know of you, even if they don’t know you personally.”

Diversity is important to the ADA, which added men to the original language used to describe the organization’s need to reach out to a variety of people from different backgrounds, according to Yadrick, who chaired the ADA diversity committee in 2002. “Our efforts were primarily directed toward increasing membership in the organization of any underrepresented group, whether ethnic groups, minorities, or men,” he says. “It’s not going to be helpful for any organization in the U.S. to have a membership that is completely similar in terms of gender and ethnic background. It doesn’t reflect the face of America.”

It is essential, Yannicelli urges, to recruit more men into the field of dietetics. “Just having a more balanced representation of different groups would lend more legitimacy to the profession,” he says. And, in a continuing cycle, recruiting men into the profession would result in more male students eventually being attracted to dietetics because they would see it as a viable career option. “Both men and women want to feel challenged,” he adds. Yannicelli began his career in a hospital setting but was led by his innate curiosity to pursue advanced degrees and move into the field of research. “It’s an aspect of the field I always find exciting because I feel like I can really make an impact,” he explains. “I believe that most dietitians, after a few years in a clinical setting, are looking for something else, something more rewarding. They constantly want to be challenged.”

The role of nutrition is important to all aspects of medicine, Yannicelli continues. It is a vital part of research into the many diseases and conditions running rampant in the United States today, including diabetes, obesity, and heart disease. “Every single health issue has a nutritional component,” he explains. “The role of dietitians is critical, and if we really begin to assert ourselves, I think we can make more of a difference.” Making the profession a more viable option for men and other ethnic/minority groups can only serve to strengthen the profession and help it advance in the future.

— Hannah Fiske is a staff writer at Today’s Dietitian.

NOMIN: Not Just for Men
When Kyle Warner Shadix, CCC, MS, RD, attended a session on diversity at the 2001 American Dietetic Association (ADA) conference in St. Louis, he was struck by an omission that, to him, seemed obvious. In a profession consisting of 97.4% women and 2.6% men, the conversation focused exclusively on minorities and ethnic groups, and men were not identified as a specific minority in dietetics. “When I think of diversity, I think about cultural and gender diversity,” Shadix explains. And so, the National Organization for Men in Nutrition (NOMIN) was born.

NOMIN, Shadix stresses, is not a men’s club. In fact, of its 46 members, almost 10% are female. “It’s important to me to have women involved because it takes everyone to work together to try to build a diverse group,” he says. The group’s mission, according to Shadix, is to promote dietetics careers for men as well as to support men in the field to grow professionally. “Our goal is to promote the entire field,” he adds. “Men don’t only have to promote other men. NOMIN is for everyone, and it’s open to anyone who wants to join our efforts.”

It is important for men to become more involved in dietetics, Shadix offers, because of the benefits diversity can potentially bring to the entire profession. By gathering a variety of people, a broader scope of viewpoints will be integrated into the field. Additionally, he adds, it is critical that the ADA’s membership, like any national organization, reflect the demographics of the entire country in order to enable it to reach out to all people.

“The activities and work of the ADA’s diversity committee over the past couple of years has advanced to a new level,” according to Robert Earl, MPH, RD, senior director of nutrition policy for the National Food Processors Association in Washington, D.C. Earl says that the ADA, as a professional organization, has shown great leadership in obtaining a Health and Human Services grant in order to address recruitment and retention related to diversity. As part of that grant, the association developed a manual for recruitment of diverse groups, he adds, which can serve as a model for other health professions to use. “On that front,” he notes, “the ADA is a leader—potentially even more ‘cutting-edge’ than other professions.”

It is important to note, Shadix adds, that the 18-member ADA board of directors includes six males. “Next year,” he continues, “for the first time in ADA history, we will have our first male Speaker of the House of Delegates: Robert Earl.” Change within a profession such as dietetics, Shadix says, tends to begin at the top and trickle down. The ADA, he says, recognizes the need for diverse representation, and now includes males in its Diversity Philosophy statement.

The field of dietetics has long been perceived by men as a “women’s profession,” similar to home economics, according to Shadix. Since the 1970s and ’80s, however, the profession has changed dramatically, updating its image as well as its content and applications. Earl, for example, took a two-faceted approach to his education and career. Having considered the possibilities of teaching or research, he decided to go in a direction that would allow him to work with others.

“I decided to obtain a graduate degree in public health,” he recalls, “and becoming a registered dietitian seemed naturally part and parcel of my public health training.” Although he did not begin his career wanting to become a dietitian, Earl found that becoming an RD was integral to the work he wanted to pursue. “What I found was that, in the public health sector, there were a fair amount of men,” he adds. “There seemed to be a different balance than what I saw in other areas of the profession.”

Reaching out to men and educating them about the opportunities in dietetics is what NOMIN is all about, Shadix says. “We’d like to develop and implement strategies to recruit men into the profession, increase the visibility of dietetics careers for men who are interested in healthcare careers, and work to facilitate retention among male RDs.” With an eye toward attracting more men from varying ethnic backgrounds, he has also begun working toward the establishment of an ADA Foundation scholarship for minority men.

Response to NOMIN has been positive, Shadix notes, though there are some men who, for varying reasons, prefer not to become members. The group has not been officially “organized,” he adds, and currently exists primarily as an ADA-recognized networking organization. Additionally, there has been a tremendous response from men involved in ADA leadership, he says. Where the group will go from here is up to ADA and its members, Shadix continues. “I would love to start a discussion about how we can continue to diversify,” he says. “It’s important to remember that men are still a minority in the profession, even though, in the overall work force, they are not. But,” he says hopefully, “things look like they might be changing.”

For more information about NOMIN, contact Shadix at chefkylerd@msn.com.

— HF

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