ANA: Personalized Nutrition Is Their Sole Mission

One size does not fit all when it comes to nutrition. The recently formed American Nutrition Association (ANA) has now proposed a definition that will help the practice of personalized nutrition reach its full potential to improve health and address the chronic disease crisis, by clearly delineating its field of application: “Personalized nutrition is a field that leverages human individuality to drive nutrition strategies that prevent, manage, and treat disease and optimize health.”

The concept has been described as “precision nutrition” and “nutritional genomics.” The tenets and goals of personalized nutrition dovetail with the methodology set forth by the Institute for Functional Medicine (IFM). IFM promotes a systems-oriented, patient-focused clinical model designed to reverse the growing chronic disease epidemic, and it sets the global standard for training, education, and clinical practice in functional medicine. Individualized therapeutic approaches, including personalized nutrition, address the underlying root causes of disease and foster optimal wellness.

The ANA was formed in late 2019 by the leaders of five nutrition-related organizations to “unleash nutrition’s potential to reverse the chronic disease and obesity crisis.” It is a nonprofit organization committed to the science and practice of personalized nutrition. The five major organizations forming ANA include:

• American College of Nutrition: Founded in 1959, this organization combines the studies of nutrition and medical science for the advancement of health and wellness.
• Nutrition for Optimal Health Association: Established in 1972, the association provides a public source for nutrition information that is based on the latest research.
• Board for Certification of Nutrition Specialists: Established in 1993, this organization “administers the advanced certification for personalized nutrition practitioners, Certified Nutrition Specialist.
• Center for Nutrition Advocacy: This advocacy organization was launched in 2013 to advance political policies regarding practice and insurance reimbursement rights for nutrition practitioners.
• Accreditation Council for Nutrition Professional Education: Founded in 2015, this nonprofit organization accredits master’s degree clinical programs in nutrition.

The ANA is well in line with the functional medicine approach. IFM continues to support personalized nutrition in clinical practice through focused tools and insights and new educational opportunities.