Press

5 ways to diversify the wellness industry

June 24, 2020

Check out this piece about the lack of representation of Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) in the Wellness Industry I wrote for NBC’s Know Your Value

And in my industry, less than 3 percent of all dietitians are Black. That means when a person of color or any person for that matter, seeks out care from a registered dietician, they are most likely going to have a white provider. Let’s be clear – the problem is not that the provider is white. The problem is the lack of representation in the field.

Additionally, dietitians receive little to no training in the areas of cultural humility. We are taught that there is a narrow margin for how to be healthy. And this does not allow for alternative perspectives. We dietitians are educated on the biochemical pathways of nutrients and the evidence-based diet patterns that support health. Yet there is little education on how to effectively include and consider the culture and ethnicity of our patients into our nutrition interventions.

Maya Feller

Maya Feller, MS, RD, CDN is the founder and lead dietitian at Maya Feller Nutrition. In her practice, her team provides medical nutrition therapy and nutrition coaching for cardiovascular disease, diabetes, mood disorders, developmental disabilities, disordered eating, and more. Maya believes in providing inclusive nutrition education from an anti-bias patient-centered, culturally humble approach to help people make informed food choices. Maya shares her approachable, food-based solutions with millions of people through regular speaking engagements, writing, her social platforms, and as a national nutrition expert on Good Morning America, is a Healthline Medical Advisor, and on the advisory board for SHAPE and Parents, as well as appearing on TODAY Show, Tamron Hall, and in The New York Times, mindbodygreen, Well+Good, Food Network, Martha Stewart, Real Simple, Good Housekeeping, Cooking Light, Eating Well, Prevention, Glamour, SELF, and more. She is the author of The Southern Comfort Food Diabetes Cookbook: Over 100 Recipes for a Healthy Life and Eating from Our Roots: 80+ Healthy Home-Cooked Favorites from Cultures Around the World (goop Press, January 24, 2023).

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