Are Dietitians Food Giants’ “Lapdogs”? A Registered Dietitian Weighs In

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“Are supplements recommended by [XX] influencer dietitians actually effective?” a friend whispered to me at a party.

As a Registered Dietitian in the US, I have long been accustomed to serving as my friends’ “last line of defence” on nutrition—when recommendations from high-traffic bloggers blur the lines with advertising, people need a neutral voice to tell science apart from marketing.

My friend’s concern is not without reason. In 2023, the independent journalism outlet The Examination and The Washington Post published a joint investigation accusing dietitians of being “lapdogs” for food giants (the original headline reads “The food industry pays ‘influencer’ dietitians to shape your eating habits”; hereafter referred to as the “Food Industry Buys Off Influencer Dietitians” article). The exposé revealed that my peers—influencer Registered Dietitians across North America—not only embed all manner of sponsored content in their videos, but even the seemingly neutral nutritional advice they deliver may be commercial promotion in disguise. A single collaboration video can earn them anywhere from a few thousand to tens of thousands of dollars.

● The Examination’s motto is “Fearless journalists, working for a healthier world.” The “Food Industry Buys Off Influencer Dietitians” article was published in its Big Food section.

This explosive story prompted the president of the world’s largest dietitian association, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND), to rush out a hastily crafted PR statement, sending a mass email to over 110,000 Registered Dietitians—including me—two days ahead of schedule.

Yet at the time, I felt a flicker of relief, thinking: at last, someone has called out the “elephant in the room”.

● Screenshot of AND’s mass email.

I. Sugar or Sugar Substitutes: Whose Advice Should You Follow?

The “Food Industry Buys Off Influencer Dietitians” article first zeroes in on the controversy over aspartame, a sugar substitute, and its cancer risk. Aspartame, an artificial sweetener, is widely added to food products; one of its most common uses is as a replacement for natural sugar in sugar-free drinks.

In May 2023, the World Health Organization (WHO) stated in published guidelines: artificial sweeteners do not aid weight loss and may even pose a cancer risk. Beverage giants, upon hearing this, secretly began pouring money into shifting public opinion. The tag “Aspartame Safety” (#safetyofaspartame) flooded the homepages of health bloggers overnight. And so Instagram and TikTok began to fill with content like this:

Steph Grasso, a Registered Dietitian with 2.2 million followers, declared on TikTok that the WHO’s warnings about artificial sweeteners were “a gimmick” built on “low-quality science”;

Another dietitian, Cara Harbstreet, reassured her Instagram followers not to worry about “scary headlines” on aspartame, saying “the evidence does not suggest any reason for concern”;

Mary Ellen Phipps, a dietitian specialising in diabetes care, sipped a glass of soda while telling her Instagram audience that artificial sweeteners can “satisfy a sweet craving” without affecting blood glucose or insulin levels.

The article found that at least ten influencer dietitians with over 10,000 followers, including those mentioned above, endorsed aspartame — yet not one of them mentioned being paid by the American Beverage Association. This trade association represents major beverage companies such as Coca-Cola and Pepsi; it is not only the hand behind the scenes but also actively lobbies on behalf of these giants. The money trail inevitably raises the question: has the professional integrity of dietitians been eroded by capital?

● Screenshots of TikTok videos from dietitians disclosed to have undisclosed commercial partnerships. Image source: The Examination
Meanwhile, sugar companies have also set their sights on influencer dietitians — the difference being that they stand in opposition to artificial sweeteners. The traditional sugar industry wants dietitians to “cleanse the reputation” of natural sugar amid the tide of sugar-reduction campaigns. So we see the “Food Industry Buys Off Influencer Dietitians” article revealing that:

One dietitian, eating a scoop of ice cream, said “refusing to eat sugary foods only makes your cravings stronger”; another sponsored dietitian, holding a doughnut, joked that the “best” way to cut down on sugar is “to slice it with a knife, break it with your hands, or even bite it off with your teeth.” Both videos were sponsored by the Canadian Sugar Institute, yet neither original post carried any disclosure.

II. Food Supplements: Sponsored-Content Violations

Food supplements are another hotspot for influencer dietitians’ commercial partnerships. The “Food Industry Buys Off Influencer Dietitians” article found that many influencer dietitians endorse products lacking sufficient scientific evidence — such as “detox teas” claiming to help the body detoxify, and capsules purported to boost “mitochondrial health.”

This is hardly surprising, yet it still pains me.

I believe that a scientifically literate dietitian should take a conservative stance towards food supplements, for two reasons. First, there is no shortage of journal articles riddled with conflicts of interest, inadequate sample sizes, wide individual variability, and flawed experimental designs — and the scientific basis for some food supplements rests on precisely this evidence. Second, dietitians know full well that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has virtually no meaningful oversight of food supplements. Encouraging consumers to spend money on potentially harmful “placebos” when the science is thin and product quality is in question goes against not only my professional conscience but also the integrity and sense of duty I hold as a Registered Dietitian.

And yet these dietitians still choose to appear on camera as endorsers. Some would argue that who a dietitian partners with is a matter of personal freedom — everyone has to make a living. But these are not mere advertisements; they are “soft ads” that conceal their commercial partnerships.

In truth, whether it is science communication or product promotion, failure to disclose the source of sponsorship already breaches relevant regulations and professional codes of ethics.

On the regulatory front: under the rules of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), these influencer dietitians are required to disclose conflicts of interest, including clearly stating who is paying for their promotional content. Deliberately omitting that disclosure constitutes the concealment of an “undisclosed material connection”.

On the professional-ethics front: they have failed to comply with a code of ethics set by the US dietitian association, which requires Registered Dietitians to truthfully disclose potential conflicts of interest and prohibits accepting gifts or services that could actually — or appear to — influence their professional judgement.

Of the 33 influencer dietitians who published paid content to their followers on behalf of “industry” clients, 17 never explicitly disclosed their sponsorship relationships at all; two included a note in their video descriptions. Yet even a brief label can be all but invisible to the average consumer: who, upon spotting a line of fine print in a caption, would immediately think of beverage giants, and then question the dietitian’s stance and expertise?

● An example of a TikTok influencer disclosing a corporate sponsorship. Can you spot the disclosure at a glance? It sits in the tiny text at the bottom left: “paid partnership.” Image source: The Examination
After the “Food Industry Buys Off Influencer Dietitians” article was published, many American readers were flabbergasted, feeling they had been kept in the dark and played for fools by pseudoscience, and were furious. One influencer, after reading the piece, reflected in their own TikTok video:

I never used to think that when watching these dietitians’ content, I’d need to keep second-guessing, keep checking, asking myself: ‘Are they being paid by someone to push this?’ On TikTok, you have to be extremely vigilant. The waters here are far too deep!

It is precisely the fear of such trust-shattering revelations that made me feel a slap across the face as I read the article, burning with the frustration of “one rat dropping spoiling the whole pot of porridge”: a small handful blatantly violating professional ethics and regulations will inevitably cause the public to doubt the professionalism and independence of us dietitians, damaging the credibility of the entire profession. It also fills me with a bitter irony — that when we strive to dispel consumers’ nutritional misconceptions through science communication, our greatest obstacle is our own colleagues: those who secretly partner with corporations, disguising commercial promotion as professional advice, only deepen consumers’ bewilderment.

● A few years ago, a friend and I started the podcast “Bājiǔ Bùlí Shí” (a play on the idiom for “close to the truth,” substituting “food” for “ten”). One episode on supplements proved so popular that a listener left a message after listening: “There are far too many influencers shilling supplements, wildly overstating the benefits, treating pills as the solution to every health problem — it really does stoke ‘health anxiety,’ as if you’re not well enough unless you’re popping something… How rare it is to hear a host and guest communicate science this objectively and with such solid evidence.”

III. Hidden Food Power: The Dietitian Association’s Sponsorship Controversy

Although consumers cried “duped” after reading the article, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND), as a trade association, adopted the stance of: don’t listen, don’t look, don’t believe.

The association itself is closely entangled with the food industry. The “Food Industry Buys Off Influencer Dietitians” article revealed that AND’s major sponsors include the American Beverage Association and Tate & Lyle, a supplier of food ingredients.

As the old saying goes, “Accept a gift and your hand grows soft; eat a meal and your mouth falls short.” Just days before the “Food Industry Buys Off Influencer Dietitians” article went live, AND sent a mass email pledging to defend the professional integrity of Registered Dietitians. The email acknowledged that while it could not police personal social media accounts, it would investigate and address any violations. Yet on the critical question of sponsorship, AND merely asserted that its corporate-sponsorship vetting process was rigorous and transparent, representing just seven per cent of its revenue — while sidestepping entirely the charge that food companies were shaping the industry’s discourse.

● In the statement, AND’s president also stressed that the majority of AND members are engaged in clinical practice, with only a small proportion working in consultancy or on social media; that all Registered Dietitians must abide by the code of ethics and follow the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) guidelines, among other points.
But AND’s statement does nothing to sever its ties with the food industry. In 2022, five nutrition scholars from the UK, the US, and Ireland published a paper exposing AND’s various close ties with corporations, including: investing endowment funds in stocks of Nestlé, PepsiCo, and several pharmaceutical companies; accepting corporate donations; permitting board members to work for or advise companies whose interests conflict with AND’s mission; amending policies internally to accommodate industry demands; allowing corporate funding to influence members’ research directions; and issuing position statements favourable to industry.

These findings stand in stark contrast to AND’s claim that its corporate-sponsorship vetting is rigorous and transparent, revealing that corporations influence the nutrition profession not merely through funding, but also through policy, governance, and research directions.

Marion Nestle, professor of nutrition at New York University and author of Food Politics, offered a sharp commentary on AND’s equivocal position after the “Food Industry Buys Off Influencer Dietitians” article was published:

You might think such an embarrassing exposé would prompt AND to adopt a clear policy on conflicts of interest with food companies. But alas, quite the opposite. Instead, the Academy’s president issued a statement that did not confront the issue head-on but rather attacked the journalists who reported it. … In other words, (AND’s playbook is simply:) take no responsibility, attack, deny.

The Examination was not the first whistleblower. Many within the profession have long been uneasy about AND’s relationship with the food and beverage giants. As early as 2013, more than a dozen disgruntled Registered Dietitians, opposed to AND’s course, formed an organisation called Dietitians for Professional Integrity.

Yet reform from within the industry has proved painfully slow. In 2013, the organisation launched a petition to sever AND’s commercial ties with junk-food companies, gathering over twenty thousand signatures. They pointed out that companies such as Coca-Cola, McDonald’s, Pepsi, and Hershey’s not only funded nutrition conferences and influenced public-health policy, but also offered “continuing education” courses to dietitians, teaching them that “soft drinks are unfairly maligned” and that “sugary cereal is a healthy way for children to start the day.” Yet by 2018, the organisation had quietly disbanded — the blow, it seemed, had landed on cotton wool.

Still, one must take heart that the volume of discussion around the conflicts of interest between dietitians and food giants has not subsided.

During my master’s programme at Columbia University, I remember a professor dedicating an entire class to the question of sponsorship, asking us to read source materials, compare the sponsorship policies of different nutrition associations, and assess their public transparency. At the time, I thought it all rather groundless — why spend ink on something so inconsequential? Yet, unknowingly, a seed of attention to the politics of food had been quietly planted in the minds of future dietitians.

Looking back now, it feels deeply meaningful.

IV. How Do We Defend a Voice for Nutrition Free from Commercial Influence?

Since publishing the article in 2023, The Examination has continued to keep food giants under scrutiny, opening a channel for the public to submit evidence of secret partnerships between influencer dietitians and the food industry.

● The Examination’s subsequent public appeal: help us report on nutrition influencers on social media. Image source: The Examination

Reading this story more than a year later, I feel less emotional turbulence and more admiration for the journalists behind it. Yet exposés by reporters alone are not enough. Tackling the conflict of interest between dietitians and food giants requires effort on many fronts.

As Marion Nestle has called out: “Nutrition advice should not be dictated by commercial interests!” I wholeheartedly agree.

I believe dietitians should not limit themselves to giving nutritional advice. Actively shaping public discourse and helping consumers understand how food giants mould the language of nutrition is a responsibility no dietitian can shrug off. After all, our food choices are never merely personal preferences; they are also the product of interactions among power, capital, and science.

Speaking up is the first step towards change.

Below are the directions for improvement — and potential obstacles — I see for the key stakeholders:

Sugar and Supplements: A Registered Dietitian’s View ▼

Should we cut down on sugar? Is it better to eat natural sugar or reach for sugar-free products sweetened with sugar substitutes? These are questions I am asked often.

Dr Jiang Qianzhi, a US-based Registered Dietitian specialising in children’s health, is firmly opposed to the overly permissive attitude towards sugar seen in sponsored posts. She notes that parents “do not need every meal to score 100 out of 100 (for their children),” but should “create a healthy food environment and consistently offer healthy options.”

In her home, sweets are not banned, but fresh fruit and vegetables, low-sodium biscuits with simple ingredients, and energy bars low in added sugar are always available. She emphasises that this approach helps children see sugar and desserts as part of a normal diet rather than a special reward or a forbidden treat, preventing the distorted relationship with food that can arise from either excessive leniency or rigid restriction.

In truth, whether for children or adults, rather than fixating on labels of “good food” and “bad food,” it is better to focus on cultivating a balanced food environment and letting food naturally fit into daily life. Picking apples in an orchard, baking biscuits at home, experiencing the transformation and creativity of real food — all of these are far more likely to nurture a healthy mindset around eating.

In terms of an overall attitude towards food supplements, I believe we should follow the Food First principle — prioritising the acquisition of nutrients through a balanced diet rather than relying on additional supplements. This is because food not only provides a comprehensive range of nutrients but also supports the health of the gut microbiota, a combined role that individual supplements often cannot replicate.

References

1. Chavkin S, Gilbert C, O’Connor A. The food industry pays “influencer” dietitians to shape your eating habits | The Examination. [Accessed 30 December 2024]; Available from: https://www.theexamination.org/articles/the-food-industry-pays-influencer-dietitians-to-shape-your-eating-habits

2. Ni J. WHO advises not to use non-sugar sweeteners for weight control in newly released guideline [online]. [Accessed 1 January 2025]. Available from: https://www.who.int/news/item/15-05-2023-who-advises-not-to-use-non-sugar-sweeteners-for-weight-control-in-newly-released-guideline

3. FTC’s Endorsement Guides: What People Are Asking [online]. Federal Trade Commission. 2017 [Accessed 5 January 2025]. Available from: https://www.ftc.gov/business-guidance/resources/ftcs-endorsement-guides-what-people-are-asking

4. can you trust tiktok dieticians? [online]. [Accessed 5 January 2025]. Available from: https://www.tiktok.com/@prettycritical/video/7278702395264077098

5. Bājiǔ Bùlí Shí. Vol. 11 Supplements (Part 2) | What supplements do dietitians recommend at different life stages? [Audio quality improved ✔️] [online]. [Accessed 5 January 2025]. Available from: https://eatoclock.fireside.fm/24

6. Nestle M. Food companies pay dietitian-influencers to hawk their products [online]. Food Politics by Marion Nestle. 2023 [Accessed 31 December 2024]. Available from: https://www.foodpolitics.com/2023/09/food-companies-pay-dietitian-influencers-to-hawk-their-products/

7. Simon M. And Now a Word From Our Sponsors: Are America’s Nutrition Professionals in the Pocket of Big Food? [online]. Eat Drink Politics; 2013. Available from: https://www.eatdrinkpolitics.com/wp-content/uploads/AND_Corporate_Sponsorship_Report.pdf

8. Carriedo A, Pinsky I, Crosbie E, Ruskin G, Mialon M. The corporate capture of the nutrition profession in the USA: the case of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Public Health Nutr. 25(12): 3568–82.

9. Bellatti A. The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, corporate sponsorship and the alternative: dietitians for professional integrity. Br J Sports Med. 1 August 2019; 53(16): 986–986.

10. Chavkin S, Tsui A, Gilbert C, O’Connor A. Big Food and dietitians push “anti-diet” advice, despite rising obesity. [Accessed 5 January 2025]; Available from: https://www.theexamination.org/articles/as-obesity-rises-big-food-and-dietitians-push-anti-diet-advice

Foodthink Author

Zheng Luyue

US-based Registered Dietitian and PhD candidate in Nutritional Sciences at the University of New Hampshire. In recent years, under the supervision of a sociology advisor, I have been exploring smallholder livelihood issues in the New England region of the United States. I do not enjoy eating on my own, and I irregularly update two podcasts (@八九不离食 and @悦食谈).

 

 

 

In the next part, we will continue to explore the dietitian community’s varied attitudes towards commercial sponsorship. Whether you are a dietitian based in China or abroad, or an independent content creator working in the health space, we welcome your comments, or invite you to scan the QR code to join our group chat and get in touch. Readers at large are also welcome to share your views on sponsored posts by health bloggers.

Click “here“ to read the article by The Examination and The Washington Post

Editor: Wang Hao

Graphics: Z X

Published by Foodthink