The Commission’s RD/DTR certification pro-
grams are fully accredited by the National Commis-
sion for Certifying Agencies (NCAA), the accrediting
arm of the National Organization for Competency
Assurance (NOCA) based in Washington, D.C. This
accreditation reflects achievement of the highest
standards of professional credentialing for nutrition
professionals.
The CDR consists of eleven members consisting
of seven RDs, one RD Specialist, and one DTR who
serve a five-year term. In addition, the CDR appoints
a newly credentialed RD for a one-year term. A public
representative, appointed by CDR members, has full
rights and privileges for a five-year term. The Chair
and Vice-Chair are elected by the Commission for a
one-year term June 1 - May 31.
Resources
ORGANIZATION
Commission on Dietetic Registration 120 South Riverside
Plaza, Suite 2000 Chicago, Illinois 60606-6995 Phone:
312-899-0040 Ext. 5500 Fax: 312-899-4772 Website:
http://www.cdrnet.org
Megan C.M. Porter, RD, LDAnne Collins weight loss
programDefinition
The Anne Collins weight loss program is a weight
loss system accessed on-line after payment of a yearly
subscription fee. The system consists of nine separate
diet plans plus advice regarding nutrition, exercise,
and specific physical disorders; an on-line support
community; and personal advice available through
e-mail. There are no diet foods, nutritional supple-
ments, appetite suppressants, exercise equipment, or
any other products sold as part of the system.
Origins
Anne Collins is an Irish nutritionist who says
about herself, ‘‘For 24 years I have been involved in
the weight loss and fitness industry as a diet consul-
tant, nutritionist, and personal adviser. I have written
for many newspapers and magazines including a
weekly weight loss and health column.’’ She states
that she first formulated her weight loss system in
1982 but does not mention the date that her Internet
Web site opened.
The Anne Collins Web site claims that it has had
nearly 7.5 million visitors and is ranked the eighth
most popular online diet Web site by Hitwise (an
online competitive intelligence service that researches
market trends). However, a much lower number of
people have actually tried the Anne Collins system.
The Web site states that it helps ‘‘over 250,000 people
all over the world to lose really stubborn fat deposits
and to achieve a lean body.’’ Therefore, it appears that
most visitors to the Web site choose not to subscribe to
the system.Description
Overview
The Anne Collins system is available only through
the author’s Internet Web site (URL: <http://
http://www.anne-collins.com>). Some parts of the Web site
are available to the public, but most pages require a
$19.97 US annual subscription. The subscription fee
must be paid online by credit card, as there is no tele-
phone number on the public portion of the Web site.
A comment on the Web site encourages visitors to
subscribe immediately and states that rates will be
increasing due to the site’s popularity. It is unknown
on what date the promotion actually ends.
What the dieter obtains for the subscription fee is
access to the following: any and all of the e-books for
the nine specific diet plans; a community forum;
updates to the existing diets and any new diet plans;
advice about nutrition and exercise; shopping lists;
advice and tips to stay motivated; and personal sup-
port either online or by telephone available any day of
the year. The e-books average 55–60 pages in length;
they contain daily meal plans for a 28-day period,
including options for snacks and fast foods. The moti-
vational articles, nutrition information, and other sec-
tions of the Web site come to about 600 pages of
material.
The Anne Collins weight loss system is not avail-
able in a print edition, either paperback or hardcover,
even though there is an illustration of what looks like a
paperback book on the Web site. In addition, neither
the Library of Congress nor the British Library has a
record of any book on nutrition or weight loss written
by Anne Collins.Specific diets
LOW-CARBOHYDRATE DIET.The Anne Collins
low-carbohydrate diet is designed to be followed for
28 days, after which the dieter may repeat the 28-day
cycle or switch to another Anne Collins plan. The four
weeks are divided into two phases of 14 days each.Anne Collins weight loss program