The Academy and nutrition and dietetics depend on dietitians renewing their Registered Dietitian credential. That's how they make money.

In order to force the issue, the AND's lobbyists have gone around the country and made it so that you are required to have a license in 14 states to talk with another individual about food and nutrition.

The AND made it so that in order to get that license you must be a registered dietitian, in other words, you must pay a private organization for the privilege to pay the government for a license to talk about food and nutrition.

It's a classic government back monopoly that has no positive impact on society, other than protectionism of an outdated business model.

https://ij.org/client/heather-kokesch-del-castillo/