Nutritionist

A nutritionist is a person who advises on matters of food and nutrition impacts on health. Different professional terms are used in different countries, employment settings and contexts — some examples include: nutrition scientist, public health nutritionist, dietitian-nutritionist, clinical nutritionist, and sports nutritionist.

Some use the terms "dietitian" and "nutritionist" as basically interchangeable. However in many countries and jurisdictions, the title "nutritionist" is not subject to professional regulation; any person may call themselves a nutrition expert even if they are wholly self-taught. In most US states, parts of Canada, Australia, and the United Kingdom, the term nutritionist is not legally protected, whereas the title of dietitian can be used only by those who have met specified professional requirements. One career counselor attempting to describe the difference between the two professions to Canadian students suggested "all dietitians are nutritionists, but not all nutritionists are dietitians."

Regulation of the title "nutritionist"

Canada

The title "nutritionist" is protected by provincial law in Quebec, Alberta, and Nova Scotia. The term “Registered Dietitian/Nutritionist” is protected by law in New Brunswick.

For example, the Nova Scotia Dietetic Association is the regulatory body for professional dietitians and nutritionists in that province, authorized by legislation, the Professional Dietitians Act, "to engage in registration, quality assurance, and when necessary, the discipline of dietitians in Nova Scotia to ensure safe, ethical and competent dietetic practice." Professional requirements include a Bachelor's Degree in Dietetics/Nutrition from an accredited university, a program of practical training, and successful completion of a registration examination (the "Canadian Dietetic Registration Examination" or CDRE).

South Africa

In South Africa, nutritionists must be registered with the Health Professions Council of South Africa. The Council regulates the professional titles of "Nutritionist", "Student Nutritionist", and "Supplementary Nutritionist", along with "Dietitian, "Student Dietitian", and Supplementary Dietitian". Requirements for eligibility for registration include a recognised Bachelors degree from an accredited educational institution. The undergraduate training should include the three practice areas of therapeutic nutrition, community nutrition, and food service management.

United Kingdom

Nutritionist is not a protected term in the UK, unlike dietitians, who must be registered with the Health Professions Council. Different organizations use their own criteria to define a nutritionist. According to one of these, the Nutrition Society, “the function of a nutritionist is to elicit, integrate, disseminate and apply scientific knowledge drawn from the relevant sciences, to promote an understanding of the effects of nutrition, and to enhance the impact of food on health and well-being of animals and/or people”. They accredit nutritionists, conferring the titles Associate Nutritionist (ANutr) and Associate Public Health Nutritionist (APHNutr). For these they consider an undergraduate training sufficient for associate membership. Full registration as a Registered Nutritionist (R Nutr.), or Registered Public Health Nutritionist (RPHNutr) requires at least three years work experience and the fulfilment of key competencies required to operate safely and effectively. They must also agree to abide by a code of ethics and maintain their standards for working with the public.

Although there are many undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in nutrition in the UK, anyone can refer to him- or herself as a nutritionist without any qualifications. A person can legally describe themselves as a nutritionist and obtain qualifications such as a degree by mail from a non-accredited institution. The Association For Nutrition is the new professional body for the regulation and registration of nutritionists (including public health nutritionists, exercise nutritionists, and animal nutritionists). The AfN aims to protect the public, and promote wellbeing, by admitting to the UK Voluntary Register of Nutritionists only those who demonstrate high ethical and quality standards, founded on evidence-based science. The Association sets proficiency and competency criteria, promotes continuing professional development and safe conduct, and accredits university undergraduate and postgraduate courses.^{[citation needed]}

Since 2002 the growth in the number of jobs for nutritionists has reportedly grown faster in the National Health Service (NHS) than in any other sector. Despite it being recognized that nutritionists have an increasingly important role to play in health care in the UK, the NHS employs fewer dietitians each year and the profession itself is shrinking, with nutritionists being seen as 'non-essential' support staff.^{[citation needed]}

Education and Career in India

Employment Facts - Dietitians and Nutritionists: Dietitians and nutritionists held about 1,50,000 jobs in 2011. More than half of all Dietitians and nutritionists worked in hospitals, nursing homes, and physician's offices and clinics.

The need for Dietitians and nutritionists is increasing every day with sedentary lifestyles, high consumption of fast food and other food related health disorders at an all-time high. Whether in schools, hospitals or communities, Dietitians and nutritionists are sought after allied medical health professionals because of their understanding of healthy eating and nutrition. They also help to reduce the resistance for diseases, such as malaria, by providing diets rich in protein and calories. Dietitians and nutritionists can find employment in hospitals, fitness centres, spas, health clubs, colleges, nursing care facilities, canteens, hotels, government, etc. One can also work as consultants or do private practice. The starting salary in this field is around Rs. 20,000 to Rs. 25,000 per month.

If you are interested in working with food and nutrition you may want to consider a career as a dietician or nutritionist. The first step to a career as a dietician or nutritionist is to pursue a proper bachelor’s degree in nutrition and dietetics.

Several collages/universities/institutes in India offer Bachelors Program in Nutrition & Dietetics. Some of the top institutes offering courses in Nutrition & Dietetics are:

• National Institute of Nutrition, Hyderabad
• Manav Rachna International University, Faculty of Applied Science
• Lady Irwin College, Delhi University
• Institute of Home Economics, New Delhi
• Women's Christian College, Chennai
• Bishop Choolaparambil Memorial College for Women, Kottayam
• SNDT Women's University, Mumbai
• G.B. Pant University of Agriculture & Technology
• Acharya NG Ranga Agricultural University
• Ethiraj College for Women, Chennai
• Banasthali University, Jaipur

National Institute of Nutrition, (NIN) is India’s premier nutrition research institute working under the aegis of Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India. NIN has attained global recognition for its pioneering studies on various aspects of nutrition research, with special reference to protein energy malnutrition (PEM). Institute’s activities are broad-based, encompassing the whole area of food and nutrition. The Institute has achieved close integration in its research activities between the laboratory, the clinic and the community. The Institute has been recognized by many national and international agencies as Centre for conducting advanced as well as ad-hoc training courses in nutrition and laboratory animal sciences. In addition, several reputed universities have recognized NIN as a Centre for Ph.D programmes in different disciplines. It possesses sophisticated equipment and swell-equipped modern facilities and for clinical, laboratory and community based research. The Institute's library, well stocked with books and journals is considered as one of the best science libraries in India. In addition, computer facilities are available for sophisticated data analysis and information retrieval from database.

Manav Rachna International University provides Bachelor and Master of Science in Nutrition & Dietetics. The university also provides Ph.D. in Nutrition and Dietetics.

Some of the highlights of the Department of Nutrition and Dietetics at Manav Rachna International University:

• 104 Physiotherapy and Nutrition students of MRIU were selected to work as Dope Control Officers at the Commonwealth Games held in New Delhi
• Placement opportunities with renowned groups and hospitals
• Strategic tie up with Leeds Metropolitan University, Leeds, England and Lahiti University of Applied Sciences, Lahiti, Finland, International Institute of Health Promotion (IIHP) USA and Australian Institute of Sports.

Through the campus recruitment drive in Manav Rachna students have been placed in VLCC, Renova Health Care, Herbal Life International, British Biological etc. Apart from in campus recruitment drive students of Manav Rachna are also working as Dietitians/ Nutritionist/ consultants with various hospitals/health care centers/organizations like Asian Hospital, Faridabad, Fortis Escorts Hospital, Faridabad, Diabetic Clinic, Rohini, IBM Gurgoan. Internationally, students have worked during CWG 2010 as medical officer.

From a modest beginning with 11 students in 1932, Lady Irwin College has provided higher education for generations of women. Well into the eighth decade, the college has now over 900 students on its records every year. The college provides Bachelor Degree in Home Science, One Year Post Graduate Diploma in Dietetics & Public Health Nutrition and M.Sc. Home Science with specialization in Food & Nutrition.

The Institute of Home Economics is a premier college of the University of Delhi. Located in the heart of South Delhi, the institute offers both under-graduate and post-graduate programmes. The college has state-of-the-art infrastructure, computerized library services, fully automated and integrated academic and administrative operations, intranet and Internet facilities available to the students. The college provides Bachelor Degree in Home Science, and Nutrition and M.Sc. Home Science with specialization in Food & Nutrition. Women’s Christian

College is A Grade NAAC accredited autonomous institute under University of Madras. Located in Chennai the college was established in 1915. Almost from the beginning, the College has had ties with similar institutions both in India and abroad. In the U.S.A. Mount Holyoke College in Massachusetts has adopted this College as its sister College. The college provides B.Sc. Nutrition, Food Service Management & Dietetics, M.Sc. Foods and Nutrition and M.Sc. Food Service Management & Dietetics.

See also

• Allied health professions
• Dietitian
• Healthy diet

External links

• National Institution of Nutrition
• Manav Rachna International University
• Lady Irwin College
• Institute of Home Economics
• Women's Christian College in Chennai
• Clinical Nutrition Certification Board of the United States
• Nutrition Society of the United Kingdom
• Nutrition Society of Australia
• Nutrition Society of India
• Nutrition Society of South Africa

Further reading

• Goldacre, Ben (2009). Bad Science. HarperPerennial. ISBN 000728487X