“Though the public at large often uses the words dietitian and nutritionist interchangeably, they are two distinct fields.” check this out
The American Dietetic Association (ADA) website explains:
“A registered dietitian is a food and nutrition expert who has met the minimum academic and professional requirements to qualify for the credential ‘R.D.’ The majority of R.D.s work in the treatment and prevention of disease (administering medical nutrition therapy, often part of medical teams), in hospitals, HMOs, private practice or other health-care facilities. In addition, a large number of R.D.s work in community and public health settings and academia and research. A growing number of R.D.s work in the food and nutrition industry, in business, journalism, sports nutrition, and corporate wellness programs.”
Anyone can call him- or herself an expert in food science or nutrition. These are “nutritionists.” You don’t even need a bachelors degree to call yourself a nutritionist.
The American Dietetic Association posts these requirements:
-Complete a minimum of a bachelor’s degree at a U.S. regionally accredited university or college and course work accredited or approved by the Commission on Accreditation for Dietetics Education (CADE) of the American Dietetic Association (ADA).
-Complete a CADE-accredited supervised practice program at a healthcare facility, community agency, or a foodservice corporation or combined with undergraduate or graduate studies. Typically, a practice program will run six to 12 months in length.
-Pass a national examination administered by the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR). For more information regarding the examination, refer to CDR’s website at www.cdrnet.org.
-Complete continuing professional educational requirements to maintain registration.
This doesn’t mean that advice from people who don’t have a registered dietitian license (R.D.) isn’t valid. What this means is that you should consider any advice carefully, and do your own research.
For example:
A person who likes working out, or is good at working out, isn’t a personal trainer. Maybe he or she is an expert in exercise, or think that s/he is, but without passing a certified test from an accredited institution like NASM or ACE, s/he isn’t licensed to be a personal trainer.
To be a personal trainer one must pass a test, be currently CPR-certified, and maintain the certification yearly by taking continuing education credits. If the trainer is an independent contractor (like I am), then that trainer needs liability insurance in addition to the other upkeep for their business.
Check your facts. Who are you dealing with?
I continually try and stress that labels on food matter just like credentials on your name matter. I will graduate from Hunter College this fall with my Bachelor of Science in Nutritional Science. I’m not a Registered Dietitian, or R.D. until I am accepted into a competitive hospital internship, and then I take and pass a state test. This process is long and difficult, but remember: a dietitian is different then a nutritionist.
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