Dietitian vs Nutritionist - What’s The Difference?
Many people wonder what the difference is between a dietitian and a nutritionist. In this post I will dive in to explain who they are, how they get certified, the key differences, as well as answering some other common questions.
Registered Dietitian
A Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN) also known as Registered Dietitian (RD) must complete a bachelor's degree in nutrition and dietetics. Courses include: nutritional biochemistry, nutrition education and counseling and nutrition through the lifecycle.
After graduation, they must be accepted into a Dietetic Internship program where they complete 1200+ hours of supervised practice in a variety of settings: clinical, food service and community nutrition. A master's degree is also now required for Dietitians to complete. This means Registered Dietitians need to go to school for 5-6 years to study nutrition, the human body, behavior change and counseling skills.
After completion of the Dietetic Internship, individuals must pass a board certified exam. Every year, Dietitians stay up to date with the most recent research in nutrition by completing continuing education credits.
Once a Registered Dietitian is established with years of experience, they can specialize further by getting board certified through the Commission on Dietetic Registration in various fields. These fields include: sports nutrition, pediatrics, oncology, obesity and weight management. This requires documented experienced hours in the field as well as passing another exam in this specialty area.
Registered Dietitian Nutritionists are able to take health insurance since they are able to provide medical nutrition therapy. This involves nutrition care for a wide variety of conditions such as eating disorders, gastrointestinal disorders and autoimmune disorders. They are able to read and understand your blood work as it relates to nutrition and work with your primary care doctor and therapist as a multidisciplinary team.
Nutritionist
There is no regulation for “nutritionists,” unless you are referring to a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN). Those who call themselves a “nutritionist” typically have a passion for nutrition and they could have a background in public health, nutrition, or another related health field.
There are some accreditation programs that take 0 to 6 months with a focus on behavior change and general nutrition advice. However, nutritionists are not allowed to provide medical nutrition therapy or take health insurance.
What is medical nutrition therapy?
Medical nutrition therapy becomes important when you are looking at the whole-health of an individual. Medical nutrition therapy includes looking at nutrient-drug interactions with certain medications; safe supplements based on recent blood work, specific diets based on health history and personal goals such as higher protein for strength athletes, low sodium for high blood pressure, mediterranean diet for high cholesterol, high iron for vegetarians and more. While these are only examples, RDNs go into more detail on specifics and the nitty gritty. Are you eating enough calcium for strong bones? Do you have enough selenium, magnesium, iodine to support a healthy thyroid and thus fast metabolism? Are your supplements effective and safe? Are you eating enough for your level of activity? Is weight loss or weight gain necessary for your health? These are some of many questions we look at, during your nutrition assessment.
Are you looking to improve your nutrition and fitness?
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Other Frequently Asked Questions
What can a dietitian do that a nutritionist cannot?
A Dietitian can do everything a nutritionist can do, but the opposite is not true. Dietitians are able to conduct nutrition assessments and look at your whole health history, recent blood work, diet and lifestyle and provide nutrition education and guidance that may involve medical nutrition therapy. A dietitian is experienced in scientific and evidence based information on nutrition versus a nutritionist who does not have the same extensive background. A nutritionist is able to give general nutrition advice, and cannot take health insurance as payment.
Should I see a dietitian or nutritionist to lose weight?
No one is perfect, many people have other circumstances going on such as weight loss resistance due to abnormal hormones, lack of sleep, excess stress, autoimmune diseases or gastrointestinal issues. For many of these problems the root cause needs to be addressed to be able to lose weight. It is not as simple as calories in, calories out. Dietitians are trained to complete a nutrition assessment of their clients and provide personalized nutrition information.
Do dietitians make meal plans?
Yes, most dietitians are able to make meal plans for their clients.
Is seeing a nutritionist worth it?
If they are registered as a dietitian nutritionist, it is certainly worth it to help guide you through your diet, lifestyle and stressors. They will keep you accountable and answer all questions to debunk the many nutrition myths and fad diets out there.
How do I find the right nutritionist?
Look for a registered dietitian nutritionist in your area that specializes in what you are looking for. For example, there are dietitians who specialize in sports, weight management, pediatrics, oncology, renal, among other things.
What do dietitians do to fight inflammation?
Dietitians help you to create an anti-inflammatory diet that consists of eating a wide range of whole-unprocessed foods. These foods include: whole-grains and other fibrous carbohydrates like fruits and vegetables. Lean protein and plant-based fats: nuts, seeds. Eating the rainbow of colors of foods because each color can contain different antioxidants and phytonutrients.
How much do dietitians charge per consultation?
This depends on your area and their level of expertise. A registered dietitian nutritionist is able to take insurance as coverage, a nutritionist cannot. Self-pay or out of pocket costs for Registered Dietitian Nutritionist in New Hampshire can range from $100-200 for an initial nutrition consultation.