I've seen my fair share of "diet, exercise, lose weight" resolutions as a registered dietitian. Fortunately, I've never had to make that kind of resolution. I just live it every day.
My resolutions are more of the self-enlightenment variety. It's a continual process to be more aware of the world around me and my place in it.
That's why I take more time to make my New Year's Resolutions. It's like buying shoes. I don't like the blisters that go with either if they rub me wrong.
Instead I walk around in my new resolutions for a while to see if they feel as good after a few days as they did when I first tried them on.
I've been breaking in some resolutions for 2012 over this past week. They're now at the point where they feel right. The next big step is, of course, to share them. Making a public announcement is like throwing out the receipt for a new pair of shoes. There's no taking them back after that.
In my role as a registered dietitian blogger, I hereby resolve that when writing or speaking about food and nutrition I will:
- Acknowledge the diversity of the U.S. population in age, ethnicity and religion as well as income, education and geography – all factors that impact food choice and dietary patterns.
- Recognize that the food supply and health care in this country are determined by economic and political forces, not human rights, so until that changes everyone does not get their fair share.
- Never forget that nearly half of the U.S. population now lives below the poverty line or are counted as low income when all living costs are factored into their budget, making eating well a bigger challenge. 2010 Census Bureau data
- Not overlook the fact 22 percent of American adults score below basic literacy levels, so are not capable of understanding basic food and nutrition information or making informed healthcare decisions. National Centers for Education Statistics.
