A reader asked to submit a brief article on what’s required to become a registered dietician. I had mixed feelings about it, considering how much bad advice is dispensed by dieticians who’ve been brainwashed into following the Food Pyramid. But what the heck, we need more people in the field who don’t swallow the “artery-clogging saturated fat” line. So here it is:
Quick Facts about Being a Registered Dietitian
If your profession has something to do with food and nutrition, it is a
must for you to learn as much as you can about the field that you are in.
This is where your understanding about the basic facts of your specific
field proves to be useful.
For example, if you want to become an RD or a Registered Dietitian, your
primary role would be to promote good health through proper eating. If
your service as a dietitian is required by a senior citizen, for example,
you will be responsible for preparing food and developing a modified diet
to suit the health requirements of the individual.
Dietitians are also involved in research, while those in the medical
community help patients get the nutrition that they need from artificial
sources if they are unable to consume food normally.
Frequently Asked Questions about Registered Dietitians
Now that you already have an idea about the basic role of an RD, take a
look at the following list of frequently asked questions regarding their
profession:
1. What are the requirements for being a Registered Dietitian?
If you want to become a Registered Dietitian, you need to complete an
internship of at least 900 hours. However, a nutritionist who wants to
acquire state certification may or may not be required to complete the
same number of hours of internship.
Those who would like to become certified nutritionists with a licence to
practice in their respective states would be required to complete an
internship. This usually requires anywhere from six to twelve months of
internship. If you cannot commit yourself to doing a full-time internship,
there are part-time internship programs which would take about two years
to be completed.
2. Are there state-specific requirements when it comes to the credentials
that you need to have in order to become an RD?
The agency which provides the list of the 46 states which have regulating
laws for dietitians and nutritionists is the Commission on Dietetic
Registration. This is the credentialing agency for the American Dietetic
Association or ADA – and they are the institution which sets up
requirements such as the 900 hours needed for an RD internship.
In states such as Washington, New Mexico, North Dakota and Maryland,
dietitian is actually different from a nutritionist – while other states
do not clearly define the difference between the two professions.
3. Which agency can you consult if you have further questions regarding
the RD profession?
Check with your state’s Board of Dietetics if you have any questions
regarding the internship requirements for your state.
All in all, whether you’re a nutritionist or an RD, what’s important is to
learn about the state-specific requirements of your profession beforehand
so that there is no confusion between the terms nutritionist and dietitian
as defined by your state’s laws.
About the Author
Amanda Clary writes a non commercial blog focused on her experience on
helping her family and friends to eat healthy. She is a “Nutritionist for
Hobby” and writes on the online nutrition certification blog to help people learn how to get certified and learn all the aspects related to this job (Skills, requisites, everyday problems, upgrading, etc.).
Entries (RSS)
I’m curious…
Does someone in that field risk losing their license if they recommend low-carb to a client (assuming that low-fat is the only thing taught in the courses)?
That’s my concern too. It would be nice to attract some people who know better into the field, but could they STAY in the field?
QUOTE:
“… if you want to become an RD or a Registered Dietitian, your primary role would be to promote good health through proper eating.”
Proper eating!
I wish more MDs would think the same way. Often, doctors see health problems caused by bad diets, but their solution is often to prescribe dangerous drugs instead of fixing the diet.
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And worse, they often don’t recognize that diet has anything to do with it.
My question, after reading this and Amanda’s blog, is what KIND of nutritional counseling can I be certified to practice? It’s been my experience that nutrition certification courses affiliated with the American Dietetic Association all follow the low fat, whole grain dogma. You can’t get certified by the ADA if you are teaching people about the benefits of a low carb, high fat diet. I would like to become a certified nutritionist, but as far as I know, the ADA would refuse to back a program that teaches people to eat more fats, and the other organizations that certify alternative nutritional programs aren’t as desirable in a career enhancing sense. I hesitate to spend $30,000 or more on a nutrition course for which the certification is weak. Amanda, if you know of an ADA certified program that teaches a low carb, high fat approach, please post it.
I met Anne Buzzelli, RD, through the local Weston Price Foundation. She is the only kind of “dietician” who’s opinion I would seek. She sees the value of whole food, and saturated fat.
http://www.buzznutrition.com/index.html
Nora Gedgaudes did a sensible nutrition course.. not sure how it compares officially with R. D though.
Her site says:
“She is recognized by the Nutritional Therapy Association as a Certified Nutritional Therapist (CNT) and is also Board-certified in Holistic Nutrition ® through the National Association of Nutritional Professionals (NANP).”
I can recommend her book.
Definitely a great book. Nora either went to a very different kind of nutrition school, or she ignored much of what she was taught.
You have to read this book, “The Other Brain” by R. Douglas Fields, PhD. We are indeed Fat-brain-heads.
I’ll look it up.
I learned several months ago about the Nutritional Therapy Association; their training is in line with the findings of Weston A. Price and Francis Pottenger. They have a training program for what they call Nutritional Therapy Practitioner. (Their required reading and recommended reading for the course looks excellent.) Here’s the website:
http://www.nutritionaltherapy.com/index.htm
I was interested in their online program, and e-mailed them about whether the GI Bill would pay for the training. They said it would not, because the program is not accredited.
So the question is - who would accredit an “alternative” nutritional program? I can’t get a dietitian’s license in Illinois unless I get some sort of certificate from an accredited program.
My guess is, the best I could do (if I were to get a certificate from the NTP program) would be to call myself a “lifestyle coach” and be extra careful to advise potential clients that I’m not certified by any government agency whatsoever to do anything. And still live in fear that I might get arrested by the state for illegally practicing medicine and/or nutritional counseling. I don’t think the arresting agency would pay any attention to the piles of nutritional research I’d have to back up my dietary counseling.
Interestingly, given the number of registered dietitians who have written books contrary to the food pyramid, it appears that once you get certified/licensed in a conventional manner, no one’s going to pay much attention to the advice you dish out. Weird, huh?
That’s what I find annoying about the situation: to be accredited, you apparently have to toe the government line on what constitutes a good diet. It’s a bit like the situation with that doctor in Sweden who nearly lost her license for prescribing a diet that actually helped diabetics.