Should More Dietitians be Working in Policy to Influence Public Health? with Carrie Ruxton

Registered dietitians and nutritionists are uniquely qualified to participate in policy and inform evidence-based policy decisions related to nutrition, dietary guidelines, and public health initiatives. The British Dietetic Association advocates for the role of dietitians in policy development and highlights their contributions to improving public health, but are there enough dietitians and nutrition experts working in policy in the UK? To help us answer these questions and dig deeper into this debate, we are delighted to be joined by registered dietitian Dr Carrie Ruxton.After completing a PhD at Queen Margaret University, Carrie Ruxton had a series of 1-year jobs – which included NHS dietitian, university lecturer and Executive Secretary of the Nutrition Society – before realising she was happiest being a freelancer. Twenty years later, she is still working for a variety of food companies and trade bodies helping to communicate nutrition science to different audiences. This involves content creation, public relations, opinion leader campaigns and commissioning research.Carrie is a Board member of Quality Meat Scotland (2023-) and the Trustee for Strategic Communications at the Nutrition Society (2020-). She also served as a Board member of Food Standards Scotland from its launch in 2015 to 2023. Outside of work, Carrie stood for Parliament three times (1999-2006), gaining valuable skills in public speaking and media engagement. She also contributes regularly to newspaper articles and radio shows and has several TV credits. Her awards include the BDA's Elizabeth Washington Award (2011), Emerald Literati Outstanding Paper Award (2011) and Complete Nutrition's Writer of the Year (2013-14). In 2023, Carrie was nominated for Nutritionist of the Year by the Food and Drink Federation.Show NotesCarrie Ruxton’s website: www.nutrition-communications.com/BDA Public Health Specialist Group Committee: www.bda.uk.com/specialist-groups…up/committee.html