Dietitians and nutritionists play an important role in the health of the population. Dietitians and nutritionists help plan various food and nutrition programs and oversee meal production in large operations. These specialists also help instill healthy eating habits and educate others on proper nutrition.
Education
To become a dietitian or nutritionist, you must obtain a bachelor's degree in a related field. Acceptable fields include food and nutrition, dietetics and food service management. Required courses include food, nutrition, management, biology, microbiology, anatomy and physiology, chemistry and biochemistry. Recommended electives include psychology, sociology, business and statistics. Although not required to become a dietitian or nutritionist, graduate degrees in food and nutrition are also available.
Types
Several types of dietitians and nutritionists exist. A clinical dietitian works in a hospital, nursing home or physician's office and helps patients with medical nutrition therapy. Community dietitians work in public health settings and counsel individuals on the best ways to prevent disease and promote health through proper nutrition. Food service management dietitians work in large settings, such as school cafeterias, large office buildings and prisons. These dietitians oversee meal production and planning and ensure that proper nutrition is provided to large groups of people. Consultant dietitians are those who work in their own practice. These dietitians usually consult individuals on specific needs.
Registered Dietitians
Although registration is not a requirement for dietitians and nutritionists, the American Dietetic Association offers the chance to obtain a registered dietitian designation. In addition to completing a bachelor's degree program in a related food, you must also complete an internship to become a registered dietitian. Internships must be accredited by the American Dietetic Association. The internship consists of 900 hours of supervised work in a clinical, community and food service setting and may be full-time, which generally lasts six to 12 months, or part-time, lasting up to two years. Once the internship is complete, you may sit for the national exam. Upon successful completion of the exam, you will be given the registered dietitian designation.
To maintain your status as a registered dietitian, you must complete 75 hours of continuing education courses every five years.
Facts
In 2008, dietitians and nutritionists accounted for 60,300 jobs and the Bureau of Labor Statistics notes that that number is expected to grow. Of the 60,300 dietitians and nutritionists, more than half worked in hospital settings, nursing homes, outpatient centers and health practitioners' offices. The remaining dietitians and nutritionists held jobs in health departments, correctional facilities and government branches. A small percentage of dietitians and nutritionists held their own practice.
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