Today’s Dietitian
Vol. 26 No. 9 P. 6
As nutrition experts uniquely positioned to counter misinformation and misapplication of nutrition advice in the public, we have our work cut out for us. The use of artificial intelligence (AI) in health care settings is expanding, and nutrition therapy and personalization of nutrition guidance are increasingly seen as areas ripe for AI applications. However, many of the experts directly involved in building the algorithms and software for these platforms, including computer programmers and digital user specialists, may have little to no formal training or credentials in nutrition science or MNT.
A couple of years ago, I was invited to consult with a team of researchers in Texas who were interested in building a predictive algorithm for personalized nutrition recommendations. They wanted to develop an AI-driven program that could use blood glucose data alone to tell users how and what to eat.
I knew that basing nutrition recommendations on raw glucose data alone was unlikely to yield appropriate treatment conclusions. For example, I knew that elevations in glucose levels could be caused by many things, including dozens of different meal patterns, foods, or fasting (via activation of the stress response); certain types and durations of physical activity; and even watching a scary movie. Furthermore, I knew that individualized dietary recommendations needed to appreciate far more than raw glucose data points to accomplish the goal of improving health and reducing disease risk. I shared this feedback with the researchers who told me they hadn’t considered any of these points before our conversation.
RDs are essential for quality AI-driven nutrition program development. We offer valuable feedback to the developer teams. Having an RD (or several) on the development team can make the difference between producing a dangerous gimmick vs a legitimate health-improvement tool.
In this month’s issue, Today’s Dietitian features the article, “Artificial Intelligence in Dietetics.” In it, we discuss the rapidly developing world of AI and its use in health care settings, including nutrition care and how RDs can establish their high value in that arena.
Also in this issue are articles on how new-generation weight loss drugs are impacting dietetics, medically tailored meals, and the rise of zero-waste retailers and the challenges they face.
I hope you enjoy this month’s edition!
— Heather Davis, MS, RDN, LDN
TDeditor@gvpub.com
