Kimberly Snyder controversy

Did anyone happen to catch this segment on Good Morning America the other day?

During the interview, Kimberly made some nutrition claims that have upset many dietitians [click here to read ADA President Jessie Pavlinac?s response]. As a ?nutritionist,? Kimberly is not a registered dietitian and does not claim to be one. She, in fact, tries to separate herself from an increasingly close-minded and textbook dependent population of dietitians who refuse to explore the possibilities of alternative medicine.

Here are some of her statements {and my responses}:

I haven?t done any research on thyroid function and soy protein, so I can?t really comment on that. However, I do know that soy is a common allergen and that it is hard for some people to digest (me, included). To say that all soy is problematic and highly processed was too much of a blanket statement. Many Asian cultures have consumed soy for years and are in extremely good health.

Almonds have about the same number of calories but less saturated fat and more vitamin E than peanuts. Almonds may be a good alternative for those who suffer from nut allergies. However, not all peanut butter contains sugar and not all almond butter is sugarless, so to assert that peanut butter is not a good snack accessory is unfair.

As far as I know, artificial sweeteners do not affect blood glucose levels, which is why many people with diabetes choose to use them in place of regular sugar. However, sugar alcohols [mannitol, sorbitol and xylitol] can increase blood sugar levels. That said, I do try to watch my added sugars and prefer using raw sugar to any sugar substitutes.

Food combining is a pretty new topic for me. I?ve read bits about it here and there, and my chiropractor really advocates the practice of food combining. I think it just depends on the individual. Some people may eat a piece of fruit every night before bed and never experience any difficulties.

As a future RD who is very interested in Complementary and Alternative medicine, I can?t say that I was completely horrified or offended by Kimberly?s statements. At the same time, I don?t think it?s fair to assume that all RDs rely only on textbooks and studies for nutrition information and are not familiar with alternatives to Western medicine (or that using these tools is an outdated practice).

I think GMA should have presented the information as an alternative medicine viewpoint and made it clear that Kimberly is not a registered dietitian in order to prevent the eruption of chaos from RDs around the country.

Thoughts, opinions, etc.? I?d really like to know what you guys think about this?