Anne Bechtel, RD, LD

Anne Bechtel, RD, LD specializes in bariatric medicine and obesity medicine with professional interests in weight management and women's health.

Hometown: West Hartford, CT

My practice philosophy is: I strive to meet people where they are; medically, physically and emotionally. Everyone has their own unique story and experience that informs them. Understanding this is key to working towards success.

What are you passionate about? And why? I am driven by helping people succeed, whether it is with nutrition interventions or at the gym or my involvement with my neighborhood association board.

If I wasn’t a provider, I would be a: A docent for a museum or tour guide in an historic house.

Why did you become a provider? When did you know this was the career for you? I want to help people understand the power food can have for health and well-being. I went back to college to obtain my dietetics degree after my kids were in school because ‘dietitian’ just clicked for me: the intersection of food, science, and health. I can help others increase their nutrition literacy and develop a positive relationship with food.

Something I have learned from my patients is: I’ve learned that for many people learning about nutrition is like learning a new language and people have so many ways to understand.

One of the challenges of this career that I enjoy is (and why): The field of Nutrition is always developing, recommendations frequently are updated and it is interesting and challenging staying abreast to keep patients informed and help them make sense of the varied messages out there.

My personal health goal is: To stay active and healthy, preventing disease, into old age.

What is the best thing you’ve done for your health or the best health advice you’ve received? I joined a CrossFit Community Fitness gym in 2019 and have been able to increase my strength and endurance. I feel great!

What are you most proud of? Becoming independent and successfully developing my career where I meaningfully touching people’s lives.