Dietetics Health Article

Definition

Dietetics professionals are responsible for educating individual clients in developing healthy lifestyles, as well as for providing quality nutritional services to the public. Standards of professional practice have been developed by the American Dietetic Association to ensure that dietetics professionals are the most reliable sources of information regarding food and nutrition.

Description

Registered dietitians (RD) and dietetic technicians (DTR) receive their credentials from the Commission on Dietetic Registration, which ensures that these professionals have fulfilled all academic requirements and completed a registration examination. Dietetics professionals work in a variety of settings involving foodservice management, clinical nutrition, and community nutrition. They work to provide nutrition education classes on topics such as breastfeeding, food safety, and diet fads. They may counsel hospital patients on health-related conditions and facilitating weight loss. They are also qualified to educate the public on proper nutrition for people of all ages including infants and the elderly.

Work settings

Registered dietitians and dietetic technicians are qualified to work in a variety of settings including hospitals, nursing homes, schools, and health clinics. In hospitals and nursing homes, dietetics professionals usually perform more clinical duties such as assessing the nutritional status of patients to aid in their treatment and recovery. They must demonstrate an understanding of a variety of nutrition topics, including calculating nutrient and tube feeding needs, and various nutrition-related diseases, such as diabetes, Crohn's disease, and cardiovascular disease. In schools, dietitians can provide services to cafeterias in helping them develop healthy meals and snacks, as well as conduct nutrition education classes for students and teachers. Dietitians also play a very prominent role in health clinics such as WIC (Supplemental Program for Women, Infants, and Children), in which they advocate the healthy development of children by educating women on the importance of breastfeeding and infant nutrition. Many dietetics professionals also become certified as dietary managers in which they are responsible for supervising in a foodservice setting.

Education and training

To become a registered dietitian, a bachelor's or master's degree in dietetics may be received from a school that is a Coordinated Program (CP) accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Dietetics Education (CADE) in which academics and supervised practical experience are combined. A graduate of a Coordinated Program may then take the Registration Examination for Dietitians to become an RD. Individuals may also enroll in a Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD) that is also approved by CADE. After graduating with a bachelor's degree, the supervised practical experience may be completed either at a CADE-accredited Dietetic Internship or a CADE-approved Preprofessional Practice Program (AP4). This also qualifies the individual to take the Registration Examination for Dietitians.

To become a registered dietetic technician, an associate's degree must be received from a CADE-accredited Dietetic Technician Program or a baccalaureate degree from a CADE-approved DPD. DTRs must also participate in a supervised practical experience at the Dietetic Technician Program, but it is not required that they take a registration examination.

The academics involved in the undergraduate study of dietetics includes generalized courses such as biology, chemistry, statistics, and management. More detailed courses are devoted to topics such as general nutrition, food science, nutritional assessment, advanced nutrition, experimental foods, and diet therapy. Undergraduate work also consists of clinical experience in work settings in which students gain a more hands-on experience in the field of dietetics. This allows students to get a new perspective on the field that goes beyond traditional teaching methods. By encouraging active participation, students will gain a better understanding of what is necessary to develop the counseling skills and research capabilities essential to dietetics.

Advanced education and training

Dietitians can further enhance their education and abilities by receiving a master's degree in dietetics or another field related to nutrition. Some CADE-accredited/approved programs also offer graduate coursework that can be completed at the same time as the dietetic internship. Dietetics professionals are also responsible for keeping up to date with the latest information regarding nutrition and utilizing the available technology that can enhance learning.