Dietitians Australia is proud to support the 2025 Parliamentary Friends of Nutrition. This year, our priority is ensuring Accredited Practising Dietitians are recognised as a core part of the care team for patients using GLP-1 RA medicines. We are calling for mandatory referral pathways and expanded Medicare items to improve access to expert nutrition support, helping Australians achieve better health outcomes through safe, effective and coordinated care.

We're calling on the Australian Government to: 

  1. Require referral to an Accredited Practising Dietitian on prescription of GLP-1 RA medicines for any therapeutic purpose.
  2. Invest in comprehensive consumer access to holistic, wrap-around care that includes Accredited Practising Dietitians before, during and after using GLP-1RA medicines.

Get in touch

If you have questions about our advocacy and policy work, contact us at policy@dietitiansaustralia.org.au

 

References 

[1]Medicines containing GLP-1 and dual GIP/GLP-1 receptor agonists | Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA)

[2] Mozaffarian, D., Agarwal, M., Aggarwal, M., Alexander, L., Apovian, C. M., Bindlish, S., ... & Callahan, E. A. (2025). Nutritional priorities to support GLP-1 therapy for obesity: a joint Advisory from the American College of Lifestyle Medicine, the American Society for Nutrition, the Obesity Medicine Association, and The Obesity Society. Obesity Pillars, 100181.

[3] Butsch et al, 2025. Nutritional deficiencies and muscle loss in adults with type 2 diabetes using GLP-1 receptor agonists: A retrospective observational study. Obes Pillars. 2025; 15:100186.  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.obpill.2025.100186 

[4]Butsch et al, 2025. Nutritional deficiencies and muscle loss in adults with type 2 diabetes using GLP-1 receptor agonists: A retrospective observational study. Obes Pillars. 2025; 15:100186.  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.obpill.2025.100186

[5] Mozaffarian, D., Agarwal, M., Aggarwal, M., Alexander, L., Apovian, C. M., Bindlish, S., ... & Callahan, E. A. (2025). Nutritional priorities to support GLP-1 therapy for obesity: a joint Advisory from the American College of Lifestyle Medicine, the American Society for Nutrition, the Obesity Medicine Association, and The Obesity Society. Obesity Pillars, 100181.

[6] Butsch et al, 2025. Nutritional deficiencies and muscle loss in adults with type 2 diabetes using GLP-1 receptor agonists: A retrospective observational study. Obes Pillars. 2025; 15:100186.  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.obpill.2025.100186 

[7] Mozaffarian, D., Agarwal, M., Aggarwal, M., Alexander, L., Apovian, C. M., Bindlish, S., ... & Callahan, E. A. (2025). Nutritional priorities to support GLP-1 therapy for obesity: a joint Advisory from the American College of Lifestyle Medicine, the American Society for Nutrition, the Obesity Medicine Association, and The Obesity Society. Obesity Pillars, 100181.

[8] Mitchell LJ, et al. Effectiveness of dietetic consultations in primary health care: a systematic review of randomized controlled trials. Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. 2017 Dec 1;117(12):1941-62.

[9] https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/burden-of-disease/australian-burden-of-disease-study-2024/contents/interactive-data-on-risk-factor-burden/changes-in-risk-factors-over-time 

[10] https://www.obesityevidencehub.org.au/collections/trends/adults-australia#cite5956 

[11]https://www.health.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/2022/03/national-obesity-strategy-2022-2032-at-a-glance-summary-with-a-logic-framework_0.pdf

[12] https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/health-welfare-expenditure/health-system-spending-on-disease-and-injury-aus/contents/summary