American Association of Nutritional Consultants

The American Association of Nutritional Consultants (AANC) is an organisation based in Warsaw, Indiana for nutritional and dietary consultants.

Membership certificate bought by Ben Goldacre for his dead cat Hettie

The association runs no checks on the qualifications of its certified members. Science writer Ben Goldacre subscribed his deceased cat Henrietta, purchasing "certified professional membership" on Hettie's behalf for $60,[1] and Australian nutritionist Rosemary Stanton's late Old English Sheepdog.[2] In 1983, nutrition scientist Victor Herbert registered a poodle and a cat;[3][4] despite the wide publicity given to this fact, Herbert was able to register another dog as a member the next year.[3] Another person registered the pet hamster of his daughter[3] and another person was accepted after providing only a certificate from a nutrition diploma mill.[3]

As a result, this organisation has been criticised by Quackwatch for selling membership certificates to unqualified individuals.[3]

References
  1. Goldacre, B. (2004). Dr Gillian McKeith (PhD) continued. The Guardian. Retrieved September 30, 2004.
  2. Stanton, R. (2000). "Nutrition: who can you believe?" (PDF). The Skeptic. 20 (2): 25. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 9, 2012. Retrieved February 10, 2011.
  3. Barrett, S. (2005). The American Association of Nutritional Consultants: Who and What Does It Represent? Quackwatch.
  4. Boyle, M.A.; Long, S. (2008). Personal Nutrition (7th ed.). Cengage Learning. p. 26. ISBN 978-0-495-56008-1.
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