HOD Update - Sept 2025

Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics
House of Delegates FY 2026 Priorities
Kara Freeman, HOD Delegate

After hearing presentations in the June 2025 Real Time Dialogue from the Council on Future Practice and engaging in robust discussion with each other, the House of Delegates voted on which topics are most impactful for the profession, identifying four priority areas that will guide our work in FY 2026. These priorities reflect the rapidly evolving environment in which nutrition and dietetics professionals practice and highlight the Academy’s responsibility to lead with clarity, credibility, and foresight.

The four prioritized drivers are: Declining Trust, Artificial Intelligence and Learning, Changing Science, and Healthcare Disruption. Together, they underscore both the challenges and opportunities facing the profession. Declining trust in institutions and credentialed experts requires the Academy to reinforce RDNs and NDTRs as credible, science-based voices in nutrition and health. Advances in artificial intelligence and new learning technologies demand thoughtful integration that balances innovation with ethics, equity, and accuracy. The pace of changing science calls for strong skills in evaluating evidence, translating emerging knowledge, and communicating effectively to the public. Meanwhile, disruption across healthcare systems creates both urgency and opportunity for RDNs to demonstrate their value in improving outcomes and lowering costs. These drivers serve as the foundation for the House of Delegates’ work and will guide generative discussions with the Board of Directors in FY 2026.

These issues strike at the very core of the Academy’s mission and the 2025–2030 Strategic Plan. By engaging in generative discussions with trust, technology, science, and healthcare disruption, the Academy is advancing its commitment to improve health and well-being through food and nutrition, while preparing members to thrive in a complex, rapidly changing environment. Aligning HOD’s work with the Strategic Plan ensures that these challenges are not only recognized but actively transformed into opportunities for leadership, advocacy, and impact.
 
Key Takeaways
June 2025 Real Time Dialogue: Delegates explored 10 change drivers from ASAE ForesightWorks affecting the profession:
   - Artificial Intelligence and Learning
   - Changing Science
   - Higher Education 3.0
   - Changing Information Channels
   - Healthcare Disruption
   - Climate Change Mitigation
   - Declining Trust
   - Supporting Mental Health
   - Transparent Organizational Ethics
   - Emerging Gen Z


FY 2026 Priorities: Delegates voted to focus on 4 key change drivers:
   - Declining Trust
   - Artificial Intelligence and Learning
   - Changing Science
   - Healthcare Disruption


These priorities guide the work of the House at the October 2025 Real Time Dialogue and beyond with the intent that our discussions will guide generative discussions at the board of directors in FY 2026 and inform our constituents and board members of the pulse of the members to help elevate our profession and advance our strategic plan.
 
The August 2025 Real Time Dialogue proved insightful and very timely as we met and heard presentations from the Academy’s Research and Policy and Advocacy teams regarding their current efforts and to solicit feedback from delegates on current efforts as well as ideas for future improvements. Great discussions ensued with six small group discussions where delegates broke out into their respective Connection Group led by their assigned House Leadership Team (HLT) group leader.

Research Discussion Summary
The Academy’s Evidence Analysis Center (EAC) engaged Delegates to discuss priorities ranging from clinical topics like malnutrition, GLP-1s, and women’s health to broader issues including planetary health, food insecurity, and the value of medical nutrition therapy. Delegates provided feedback regarding how to navigate existing resources and considering more concise, accessible formats. Discussions recognized the need for frequent updates, stronger dissemination, and public-facing efforts to counter misinformation.
 
Policy and Advocacy Discussion Summary
Delegates noted that while the Academy offers many advocacy and practice tools, members often find them hard to access or are seen as less impactful than resources from peer organizations. They called for more practical, outward-facing formats such as podcasts, social media toolkits, CEU workshops, and easy-to-share infographics to make policy engagement simpler and more effective. Delegates affirmed current policy priorities but stressed the need to address fast-moving issues.