WV HB3035

“We call this, controlling what you can when things feel out of control.”

This is a light-hearted joke spoken by Olaf, the talking snowman in Frozen. I am sure if you have kids (or if you are an adult who still takes comfort in children’s movies, like me), you are familiar with Olaf and his relatable humor.

However, life feeling out of control is an all too relatable, extremely real, and potentially crushing feeling that many people experience. For me, I experienced these feelings in high school, which, admittedly, in retrospect, was a time when my then-problems seem to pale in comparison to problems in the “real” adult world. When I felt out of control in life, I coped by developing disordered eating habits. In a world where I felt overwhelmed by my uncertain future, I found it satisfying and comforting to control how many calories I took in and could see this number correlate with a lower number on the scale.

I have always been hard on myself and a perfectionist. In high school, I developed an interest in medicine and science as well as a passion for improving healthcare in underserved communities, like West Virginia. My path towards developing unhealthy eating habits started on my journey to learn about nutrition and healthy lifestyles, but, like many other aspects of my life, I took it to the extreme.

I was never formally diagnosed by a physician with an eating disorder. I actually do not think I ever wanted to be formally diagnosed with an eating disorder. I did not want to admit to anyone that I was not okay. I did not want the people that loved me so much to feel like it was their fault – because it wasn’t. I did not want anyone to find out. I did not want the college admission or scholarship committee to find out and think that I was weak (which I was not).

The professional that I could admit my problems to was a Registered Dietician. Registered Dieticians are an often overlooked, but integral and vital component of our health care system. Much of their work is done behind the scenes, so it is often overlooked.

The fact that I was not formally diagnosed by a physician, like many other young people. The impacts of eating disorders are strikingly significant. Studies estimate that nine percent of Americans will experience an eating disorder in their lifetime, and Anorexia Nervosa, one type of eating disorder, is the leading cause of death associated with psychiatric illness.

When I was sixteen and suffering from an eating disorder, I was lucky enough to have had an intervention with a Registered Dietician that catalyzed my recovery from disordered eating. Registered dieticians understood my desire to be as healthy as I could possibly be, and together, we made an actionable plan to teach me to be healthy and happy. I am now twenty-seven with a Ph.D. in biomedical sciences working as a medical researcher. My relationship with food and my lifestyle is now something that I celebrate. I love cooking healthy meals throughout the week and experimenting with new recipes. I also love spending a Saturday evening ordering Indian takeout or making homemade pizza with my husband. Food – whether it is “healthy” or not – is a huge part of my livelihood and a way to share beautiful memories with loved ones. If it were not for a registered dietician in my life, holidays would continue to be filled with dread and anxiety instead of making beautiful, shared memories with my family and dearest friends.

It seems easy to know how to eat “right” in a world where information is so accessible. However, freely shared information leads to a paucity of actual fact-based information on healthy lifestyles. It is vital that Registered Dieticians are a prominent part of the health care system to foster well-being.

Currently, House Bill 3035 in the West Virginia House will greatly restrict the ability of Registered Dieticians to provide their crucial, life-saving services as part of the health care system. HB3035 will effectively sunset the West Virginia Board of Licensed Dieticians. This Board has allowed Registered Dieticians in the state of West Virginia to practice with swiftness, accuracy, and autonomously. The removal of this licensure board will severely restrict this important health care practice, and we are urging citizens and policymakers of West Virginia to oppose this bill.

These policy decisions at the local and state local are often overlooked in comparison to national issues and are not nearly as polarized. However, our local and state officials are currently considering HB3035 which will restrict West Virginian’s ability to receive proper medical care provided by Registered Dieticians. This includes, but is not limited to, medical nutrition therapy in hospitals, long-term care facilities, outpatient clinics, and private practice. Registered Dieticians assess nutrition status and implement nutrition care plans to meet and maintain an individual’s unique nutritional needs through oral, tube, or IV feeding in an in-patient setting.

In addition to their routine services, like all other health care professionals, Registered Dieticians have played an integral role in the COVID19 pandemic over the last two years. This has involved managing the nutritional needs of hospitalized patients in over-run and understaffed hospitals. Additionally, COVID19 has caused countless patients to be placed on ventilators, where traditional feeding is not necessary. The nutritional needs of ventilated patients are managed by Registered Dieticians.

Therefore, Registered Dieticians deserve to practice their care at the highest level with swiftness and autonomy. Further, the public and our strained healthcare system need Registered Dieticians to practice with the highest level of care. In addition to the COVID19 pandemic, West Virginia ranks first in the nation with the highest percentages of obesity (37.7% of adults, 21.9% of youth), diabetes (15%), the prevalence of heart attack (7.5%), coronary heart disease (8.0%), and overall cardiovascular disease (14.6%).

The approval of HB3035 will restrict the ability of Registered Dieticians to perform their life-saving jobs, and the population of West Virginia is uniquely positioned to suffer because our population serves to greatly benefit from their seamless integration in the professional health care setting. I certainly would not have such a full, happy, balanced, and healthy life without the services of a Registered Dietician.