Breaking Barriers in Nutrition Research: Dr. Amylee Amos Champions Accountability, Accessibility, and Planetary Health
AMYLEE AMOS, PH.D., 2023, INTEGRATIVE AND FUNCTIONAL NUTRITION
Amylee Amos, Ph.D., a dedicated registered dietitian nutritionist, pursued a Ph.D. at Saybrook University to immerse herself in research while balancing motherhood and a clinical practice.
“As a mom of two little kids, I really needed the flexibility of a fully online program,” Dr. Amos explains. “I also work in my own clinical practice and appreciate that Saybrook is set up in such a way that I was able to continue working while I was a student.”
Dr. Amos’ work combats nutrition misinformation, challenges the health care system, holds the food industry accountable, and reconciles public health with planetary health. Dr. Amos sheds light on the food industry’s tendency to shift blame onto consumers. She also is critical of rhetoric in medicine that blames individuals with chronic diseases.
“In functional medicine we often talk about the power of lifestyle and nutrition to influence disease risk. While this message is powerful and accurate, it can sometimes unintentionally place blame on the individual. This rhetoric isn’t fair because the food industry employs scientists to create hyperpalatable, calorie-dense foods that are designed to be addictive. I want to play a part in holding the food industry accountable for their tactics.”
Dr. Amos believes that functional medicine can support people where the conventional health care system falls short, primarily because the latter relies on “disease care” rather than “health care” and fails, in her view, to keep people healthy. She explains that accessibility to functional medicine is also key, but access is often cost-prohibitive to the average person because most functional medicine practitioners do not take insurance.
With this in mind, Dr. Amos posits that one untapped resource is group nutrition classes that incorporate digital media and are thusly more accessible. “I had the opportunity to conduct a pilot study using this formula with individuals with mild cognitive impairment, and we saw great results,” Dr. Amos says. “I would like to continue conducting these types of studies using different populations and eventually get to the point where the data, if favorable, can be used to offer subsidized programs.
Dr. Amos runs her own company called Amos Institute, which offers online nutrition courses, provides concierge nutrition services, and conducts nutrition research. The root of all her work is her care for people and advocating for their health and Saybrook’s educational approach and flexibility only helped to support her in her endeavours, particularly since she had two children while completing her Ph.D.
“I have incorporated the humanistic message of Saybrook into my research and clinical practice,” she says. “I am so grateful that I was at a university that allowed me to have such a flexible schedule. As much as I love my work and my research, there is nothing in the world that I love more than being my daughters’ mom.”