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There is a growing interest in healthy eating and its effects on the body; not without reason, because even in ancient times it was recognized that nutrition has a tremendous impact on human health. The professional term "nutritionist" was included in the International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO) in 1967. More and more people are using the services of a nutritionist; one could even say that it has become fashionable. However, have you ever wondered what the term nutritionist means, what their role and responsibilities are? I will try to answer these and other frequently asked questions in this article.
What are the duties, tasks, and roles of a nutritionist?
The tasks of a nutritionist are quite fluid and cover a wide spectrum. The most important ones include:
- Development of nutrition plans for individuals and entire populations based on scientific principles in the field of nutrition. This includes, among other things, adapting the diet to age, gender, height, weight, comorbidities, or individual circumstances. A nutrition plan is understood to be the establishment of concrete guidelines for nutritional activities or a menu and the extent of nutritional education.
- Development of health prevention plans for individuals and groups, implementation of nutrition education,
- Planning and monitoring the process of creating therapeutic diets for individual patients and population groups,
- Application of clinical nutrition with the use of natural products and special nutritional purposes, e.g. Nutridrinks,
- Development of menus for different diets,
-Monitoring the quality of raw materials and foodstuffs and the conditions under which they are stored - although these tasks are carried out in large catering units, the so-called warehouse workers,
- Taking control samples of prepared food - this is not a legally required activity, but is often carried out "just in case",
- Carrying out anthropometric measurements (body weight, height, arm circumference, etc.),
- Analysis of body composition using bioelectrical impedance (fat content, bone mass, visceral tissue, metabolic age, etc.), if the nutritionist has access to such a device,
- Help in choosing the right nutritional supplement,
-Monitoring the effects of the introduced diet and/or dietary recommendations.
What is often mentioned as one of the tasks of a nutritionist, but isn't really?
There are many misconceptions about the duties of a nutritionist online. These misconceptions are likely due to the lack of specific legal regulations governing this profession. While the duties of a nutritionist are fairly fluid, there are some for which a nutritionist is not knowledgeable or trained. These include:
-Determining the effects of nutrients on the human body – this is the work of researchers in medicine, biotechnology, biology, chemistry, or other scientific fields. Nutritionists use their findings exclusively in their daily professional practice. However, a nutritionist can be one of the members of the research team.
- Study of food products, their composition, and origin - Yes, the study of food science includes subjects such as food technology and food chemistry, but its scope is limited and aimed at raising students' awareness of the processes involved, not necessarily teaching them how to conduct research on food. This is primarily the domain of food technologists and analysts.
-Assessment of the effects of foods on each other or the effects of foods on drugs and diseases - within the framework of vocational training, there are topics that address such interdependencies, but their development is primarily handled by food technologists, chemists, pharmacists, or analysts. As in the previous case, a nutritionist can be a member of the team investigating these relationships, but they lack the skills to conduct such studies independently.
- Development of methods for technological food processing - a nutritionist develops recipes for preparing dishes, but they are not involved, for example, in developing the best method for producing butter - this is the job of food technologists. A nutritionist has knowledge of food processing, but not enough knowledge to develop processes of this kind.
What are the specialties in the field of dietetics?
In the field of dietetics, there are usually three to four different areas of focus, although there are no specific tasks within the disciplines and there are also no legal disciplines.
Clinical Nutritionist
A clinical dietitian is involved in the planning, teaching (conducting nutrition education), monitoring, and evaluation of nutritional plans in a clinical context. Their goal is to maintain or restore functional nutritional health. They most commonly see people with overweight, obesity, insulin resistance, diabetes, and other illnesses. These dietitians usually run their own dietitian offices or are employed in catering establishments such as hospitals, institutional catering establishments, nursing homes, and schools. Within this field, or independently of it, we distinguish between dietitians who specialize in the nutrition of children and adolescents, infants, pregnant women, or in a specific medical condition. Community caterers are sometimes also referred to as administrative dietitians or directors (in schools and kindergartens).
Sports nutritionist
A sports nutritionist advises active individuals. They combine knowledge of healthy nutrition with physical activity. They possess expertise in techniques aimed at achieving optimal results in sports while maintaining a healthy diet and overall health. These types of nutritionists are typically employed in sports centers, spas, fitness clubs, and other settings. The term "personal trainer" is not the same as a sports nutritionist.
Psycho diet
Psychodietetics combines dietary and psychological knowledge. These professionals primarily care for patients with anorexia and bulimia, but also obese and overweight individuals. The work of these dietitians involves not only providing proper guidance and educating patients, but also, among other things, motivating them to take action.
Nutritionist or public health nutrition educator
directly involved in health promotion and health policy. These nutritionists typically carry out various types of community projects or work intensively to make health education accessible to a wider population, often working closely with public health educators.
Who can become a nutritionist?
In Poland, the profession of nutritionist is not properly regulated, so the title of nutritionist can be obtained by both graduates and those who have completed courses or training. However, the law prohibits the possibility of obtaining this title after completing postgraduate studies and secondary education. In this context, not every nutritionist has the same or even insufficient knowledge to provide individual or group nutrition counseling. Therefore, it is worthwhile to check their qualifications beforehand when selecting a nutritionist.
Is a nutritionist a doctor?
From a legal perspective, a nutritionist is not a doctor, as they have not completed a medical degree in human medicine or human and dental medicine. Therefore, a nutritionist is not entitled to issue prescriptions or sick notes. However, a well-trained nutritionist (not a weekend course) can assess the symptoms of illness and can suggest a consultation with a doctor and the need for additional tests. The work of a nutritionist should be based on collaboration with a doctor, nurse, midwife, psychologist, physiotherapist, and specialists from other disciplines.
Is a nutritionist and dietitian, nutritionist, dietician, etc. the same thing?
Titles other than nutritionist are typically used by individuals who have completed courses and training. They have not attended a university or graduated from medical school.
Will a well-trained nutritionist guarantee the achievement of the goal?
Unfortunately not. Many factors contribute to the effectiveness of therapy, including the type of treatment, the patient's commitment and conscientiousness, and health-related aspects, such as metabolic disorders. However, this does not change the fact that a nutritionist is responsible for diligently fulfilling their duties according to the applicable principles of nutrition for both the healthy and the sick.
