Tuesday, March 2, 2010

Who is the Nutrition Expert? A Registered Dietitian

If you need to remodel your kitchen, you call a licensed contractor. When your car has trouble, you take it to a mechanic. So why would you cut corners when it comes to your health by taking food and nutrition advice from a friend, Web site, or other non-expert?

“I have met people who wouldn’t dream of changing the oil in their car by themselves but will follow advice from a total stranger in a forwarded e-mail when it comes to losing weight,” says registered dietitian and American Dietetic Association Spokesperson Sari Greaves.


When seeking expert guidance on food and nutrition, “Look for the RD credential. While some registered dietitians call themselves nutritionists, not all nutritionists are registered dietitians. There is a very big and very important difference between the two.” While some states have licensure laws that define how a “nutritionist” can legally practice, in other states, virtually anyone can call him-or-herself a “nutritionist” with little or no education or training.

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