In this post, we will distinguish between nutritionists and dietitians. In our last post What Nutrition And Dietetics Is All About, we noted that the scope of Nutrition and Dietetics differs. As such, nutritionists and dietitians also have some slight variations. In this post, we will elaborate further as to those comparisons that define who a nutritionist is and who a dietitian is. You will understand more comprehensively as to whom you should seek guidance from when faced with any nutritional concern.
When looking at the differences between the two, we will focus on 3 main components namely, their qualifications, scope of practise and whether they are protected by law.
Who Is A Nutritionist And Who Is A Dietitian?
Both nutritionists and dietitians are health professionals who instruct patients on better approaches to healthy eating . They also develop meal plans and diet plans. Nevertheless, nutritionists cannot offer treatment approaches to patients while dietitians are well-versed with this expertise. They both study nutrition courses but dietitians go on to specialize in dietetic courses and medical courses. Suppose you have a medical condition that necessitates nutrition attention, the most applicable professional to assist with managing that condition would be a dietitian.
Dietitians use their nutrition expertise as part of a care plan to manage and treat disease. For example, they may aid patients with cardiovascular diseases by creating a plan that accounts for the portion of fat and salt intake. They will do this while carefully assessing other individual factors of a client such as income, lifestyle, medical history etc. Contrarywise, nutritionists focus more on providing clients or communities with information about food and nutrition. They assist their clients to be informed on how to implement healthier choices.
Qualifications
Although both nutritionists and dietitians may study the food, nutrition and dietetics course, dietitians possess an understanding as to the components of foods in that they are more thorough as to the nutrients, calories and their measures in particular foods, medical nutrition therapy in addition to nutrition knowledge and proficiency.
Dietitians require to have at least a Bachelor’s degree while nutritionists do not require any specified level of education or qualifications. Truth is, anyone can refer to themselves as nutritionists but not dietitians. The dietitians can call themselves nutritionists but nutritionists cannot refer to themselves as dietitians. This is because dietitians are already nutritionists as they have studied what nutritionists have also studied but they go further to advance their studies in dietetic and medical courses. So in a way, they are more specialized.
A nutritionist can study a Bachelor’s degree, a master’s degree and even advance to postgraduate level but they still remain to be nutritionists if they are not approved by the nutrition and dietetics board or receive a licence. A nutritionist can also be someone who has taken a few nutrition courses and is utilizing that information to encourage others to promote healthy eating. Nutritionists majorly focus on community nutrition , public health nutrition and nutrition education etc.
Regulations
Dietitians are safeguarded by the law while nutritionists are not necessarily protected by it. Nutritionists (those who have studied up to degree level) and dietitians are required to go for attachments as part of course’s requirements before graduating undergraduate level; however, dietitians go for internships after degree completion. These internships are approved by nutrition and dietetics board, after which they undertake an examination that is also approved by the board before they obtain license to practise.
Scope of practise
Nutritionists can provide guidance to patients on how they can achieve optimal health by counselling on healthy food choices. Dietitians can also do the same. However, dietitians can offer this guidance to both healthy clients and patients with medical conditions but nutritionists are required to design diets and offer guidance to patients without medical conditions. Dietitians are able to review a client’s current symptoms, medical history, weight, eating practises medications, supplements, exercise routine, and offer individualized counsel that is effective for them to achieve their objectives.
Both nutritionists and dietitians can work in diverse settings i.e. in hospitals, communities, institutions etc as consultants, food technologists, community development officers, nutrition co-coordinators among others. Though, dietitians will mainly be found in health facilities.
Role of dietitians
- Perform nutrition assessment and screening to determine presence of nutrition concerns.
- Counsel on proper eating practises.
- Understand all the components contained in a food as well as their measures.
- Develop nutrition care plans for patients with medical conditions
Role of nutritionists
- Train individuals, groups or the community on nutrition and its significance.
- Encourage clients to implement healthy eating approaches and explain how to achieve this.
Basically, dietitians and nutritionists require almost similar skills including:
- A keen interest in diet and health
- Interpersonal skills that include good communication skills and ability to relate well with diverse individuals from various backgrounds
- Analytical skills
- Organizational skills
- Problem-solving skills
- Good Listening skills
Conclusion
Conclusively, nutritionists do not treat or develop diet plans for individuals with medical conditions, they are normally not regulated and offer more generalized advice on healthy eating and weight management whilst dietitians deal with individuals with medical conditions, they create diet plans for them, and are mainly found within hospital settings. Dietitians are also more well-versed in the components contained in different foods .