Leader-Inspired Nutrition: Promoting Safe Dietary Supplement Use for Service Members.

Military readiness and performance are critical to national defense. Service Members must maintain their health and fitness to remain deployable. Dietary supplement use in the military is prevalent and remains a significant concern due to rampant misinformation, product adulteration, and documented adverse events. In March 2022, the Department of Defense issued Instruction (DoDI) 6130.06: Use of Dietary Supplements in the DoD, formally establishing Operation Supplement Safety (OPSS) [1] as the program of record for everything related to dietary supplements. Leaders, as role models within their organizations, can serve as facilitators in promoting the safe and informed use of dietary supplements in the military through an innovative framework called Leader-Inspired Nutrition (LIN). LIN is a leadership-driven strategy aimed at enhancing Service Members' health, encompassing seven pillars focused on nutritional fitness, including the informed and safe use of dietary supplements. This paper details how leaders can engage with Service Members and advocate for the safe use of dietary supplements by utilizing five strategic imperatives, educational initiatives, and resources provided by OPSS.