Across September we will be exploring why dietitians are best placed to lead the way in sustainable diets and eating, as well as sharing examples of innovation in practice.

We all have habits, and the unexpected restrictions of successive COVID-19 lockdowns have led to many of us developing new ones, some good and some not so healthful. As we emerge out into the ‘new normal’, it’s a good time to take stock of eating and drinking behaviours and make changes for the better.

We are in a pandemic. An economic recession looms. On top of all that, the globe continues to warm up. If you think too much about it, it’s depressing! Unsurprisingly, mental health has become a priority for many people and will continue to be so in the foreseeable future.

Popular diets come and go, however the themes and basic ideas they suggest seem to remain. Some experts suggest it’s time to ditch the diet and find ways to rebuild a healthy relationship with food (and our bodies) and learn to eat in a conscious, intuitive and mindful way. 

As we emerge from a prolonged period of restrictions, our daily routines are likely to change once again. We might go back to the office, enjoy socialising, or make the most of opportunities to see family and friends. We may try to hold onto some lockdown habits that were kind to our bodies, our health or the environment.

Sport has always been a big part of Isabel Anderson’s life. Here she explains how she has made it part of her professional life too.

Dr Alan Kennedy speaks to Dr Catherine Norton, Lecturer in Sport and Exercise Nutrition at the University of Limerick in Ireland, about how she came to her current role via professional rugby.

In this blog, Ursula Arens discusses the need for widespread folic acid fortification, 30 years after the publication of the MRC Vitamin Study Research Group findings on the prevention of neural tube defects.

The service has been developed to help people in Leeds who are experiencing new, long-lasting problems 12 weeks or more after a confirmed or suspected COVID-19 infection which are significantly impacting how they are able to function in day-to-day life.

Government recently agreed to accept the recommendation of the NHS Pay Review Body and award 3% pay increase to all NHS staff in England and Wales. We are now asking our members to decide whether or not they are prepared to accept this pay rise.

The BDA has welcomed government’s confirmation that promotions on food and drinks high in fat salt or sugar (HFSS) in retailers will be restricted from October 2022.

Health unions representing 1.2 million NHS staff in England have responded to the 3% NHS pay rise announced by the government, which accepts the recommendation made by the independent pay review body.

Elsie's blue plaque, from Cambridge, Past, Present and Future, was financed by the Nutrition Society, the British Dietetic Association, the British Nutrition Foundation and the Royal Society.

The BDA has contributed towards a new paper calling for urgent action to help those with long term conditions who may have declined during the pandemic due to a lack of support.

Baroness Harding’s reported promise to “end the reliance on foreign doctors and nurses” fails to recognise the central role that health and care professionals from outside the UK have played in the NHS throughout its history. We are once again disappointed by the focus of this government on restricting those willing to work in the National Health Service rather than investment and support for the health service as a whole.

Following recent concerns by the Royal College of Nursing, the BDA joins other AHPs in rejecting the assertion that Allied Health Professionals (which includes dietitians) are being recruited as replacements for nurses.

The Advancing Healthcare Awards 2021 recognised talented dietitians last month - including Joanne McKee who was named as the overall Allied Health Professionals (AHP) winner.