Growing up in Guatemala, Aida Miles saw firsthand the effects of malnutrition in children. Driven into dietetics because of her desire to help, she began her career at her homeland’s largest public hospital. There, Miles began achieving her dream of positively impacting children’s lives through nutrition. Twenty years later, she continues to realize her dream every day as she acts as an agent of change to help her patients.

Miles knew her work in Guatemala would be a challenge, but she had no idea how trying her job would be. She tackled the setbacks head-on by donating her services and learning how to work without key resources as simple as pediatric-sized feeding tubes.

Miles took action to institute positive changes, a move that set the precedent for her entire career. By the time she left the hospital two years later, Miles had assembled a nutrition support team and successfully campaigned for and trained a paid replacement.

Today, Miles is a senior nutritionist at the Marcus Institute in Atlanta, specializing in early childhood feeding practices, childhood and adolescent obesity, disordered eating, and people with special needs. Prior to her current position, she worked with Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta and focused on acute and chronic conditions that impact nutrition and feeding.

Still an avid volunteer, Miles continues to find opportunities to make an impact. Each time she donates her services, she holds true to the inspiration that drove her to become a nutrition professional.
“People often feel they don’t have spare hours to volunteer, but I think they’ll discover the benefits are well worth the time commitment,” said Miles. She sees each volunteer project not only as a way to help others but also as an experience that expands her knowledge base and builds her network—both key factors in achieving positive change.

Her broad volunteer experience has propelled Miles into positions where she can assist other dietitians who share her dream. One of her current endeavors is working with the ADA to interpret the Nutrition Care Process for pediatric dietitians as the chair of the Pediatric Nutrition Practice Group (PNPG). She also helps the PNPG’s 3,000 members navigate changes such as scientific advancements, policy changes, and emerging research needs through continued communication with the member base and acting as their advocate with the ADA.

Miles not only keeps dietitians abreast of changes in the field, but also helps move the profession forward. She recently worked with the Centers for Disease Control and the American Academy of Pediatrics on a pilot study examining the use of motivational interviewing techniques to help families with young children who are at risk for being overweight.

Motivational interviewing evolves the nutritionist’s role from expert to wellness partner. It overcomes patients’ ambivalence by pairing their motivations and interests with healthy lifestyle choices. Instead of providing information, the clinician helps the client come up with his or her own plan for behavioral change. According to the study’s results, this counseling technique is a promising strategy in motivating parents to change their family’s eating behaviors.

Miles has trained public health nutritionists and nurses in Georgia on the benefits of motivational interviewing. “It is an important tool for healthcare workers because when you give patients control, they devise plans that work,” she said. “Many of my patients and their families come up with plans of action that I never would have thought of on my own.”

Miles also works with students pursuing a career in healthcare through HealthSTAT, an organization that pairs today’s medical professionals with the healthcare workers of tomorrow to provide hands-on experience.

“We don’t realize how eager these students are to make a difference,” she said. “They are passionate about working on projects that help people.” These exact words ring just as true when describing Miles. She’s come a long way from being a novice R.D. in a third-world hospital to being a leader in the nutrition profession, but she’s never lost sight of why she went into the field in the first place.