Figuring Out Differences between a Nutritionist and a Dietitian

Figuring Out Differences between a Nutritionist and a Dietitian

Nutritionists and dietitians are two main career paths that exclusively deal with food, diet, and nutrition. Yes, they are quite similar but, not interchangeable. So, now the question arises, “What is the difference between nutritionists and dietitians?”  Both have expertise in diet and food. They have studied how diet and supplement affect your body. Dietitians are considered to be nutritionists, but, not all nutritionists are dietitians. The biggest difference lies in term of legal restrictions. Only nutritionists that are registered with CDR can declare themselves as dietitians. Listed down are the differences between a dietitian and a nutritionist.

After completing a bachelor degree from a recognized university in the field of nutrition science, a dietitian has to complete an internship at a food service company, health care facility or hospital. After completing an internship, he/she can sit for the national examination and after passing it he/she is free to practice as a Registered Dietitian.

On the other hand, a nutritionist is someone who studies nutrition in college or may have the degree in nutrition from a recognized college. Some nutritionists are also known as food scientists who tend to work with food manufacturers. They are also engaged in working as dietitian assistant or as food journalists.

Role of a dietitian is to organize food and nutrition plan. They promote healthy eating habits in order to prevent and treat illness. Just like all regulated health professionals, dietitians are also committed and required to stay on top emerging skills, research and techniques. They have the capabilities of translating the science of nutrition into the terms that is more understood. Unlocking food potential, they play important role in supporting healthy living of patients and clients. Most importantly, a dietitian will not hand you a list of diet chart of what to eat and what not eat, rather than they will look into your diet minutely and based on your health will give their valuable suggestions too.

·         Dietitians are state registered, but, nutritionists are not.

·         Dietitians do not tend to use nutritional supplements, but, nutritionists do.

The difference in terms of Practice

Dietitian generally practices medical nutrition and are encouraged to use USDA’s approach set by Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics along with Association guidelines like American Diabetes Association, American Heart Association etc while creating a plan of action for the patient.

Nutritionists use fresh and organic approach to treat people. They mainly stress upon educating healthy eating and promoting active lifestyles.

The difference in terms of Regulations

Nearly 46 states currently have licensure provision to regulate dietitians, while, on the other hand, most of the states do not allow individual nutrition counseling without the license.

Nutritionists generally come into the profession with personal experience. They can be specialized in sports nutrition or other areas, but, dietitians are more generalists with adequate medical knowledge.

To conclude, the major difference between nutritionists and dietitians is that dietitian helps in diagnosing disorders related to eating habits and can help planning meals in order to manage health problems. While, nutritionists can just offer support in these areas.