NUTRITIONIST & DIETICIAN
Nutritionist & Dietician – Emerging Career in the Health Sector.
Gone are the days when people walked miles for a meal. Now people walk kilometres to digest what they have devoured.
Walking tracks and busy gyms are common sights not only in urban settlements but also in rural regions these days.
In today's world, both women and men are figure conscious and are attentive not only to their exercise routine but also to their dietary habits. Those who are passionate about their physical fitness are meticulous in maintaining a balanced diet. They seek the guidance of experts for avoiding obesity while ensuring that they supply sufficient nutrients for their body.
What is Nutrition?
Nutrition is the scientific study of food and its impact on the human body. It studies how the various nutrients found in food interact with the body, and how they can be harnessed to maintain and enhance overall health while preventing illnesses. How dietary choices can impact the body's health is its focus.
The type of food we consume can have significant effects on our mental health, mood, and overall sense of well-being. Therefore, it's crucial to maintain a well-balanced diet that includes a variety of food groups, including fruits, vegetables, and protein, to ensure that our body receives adequate nutrition.
Selection of body specific food appropriate for each body and determining optimum intake is a specialist's job now.
Are nutritionist and dietetian synonyms?
Nutritionists and dietitians have similar career paths which study diet, food, and nutrition. However, while they are similar, they are not quite the same.
Although dietitians and nutritionists both help people find the best diets and foods to meet their health needs, dietitians are certified to treat clinical conditions.
Dietician's responsibilty can include developing specialized diets for sportspersons, patients, infants, pregnant and lactating mothers, the elderly etc.
Dietitians and nutritionists are in high demand in a variety of settings, including hospitals, nursing homes, hostels, luxury hotels, cruise liners, factories, sports training centers, and military bases.
Nutritionists can find employment opportunities in food administration and safety, where they are responsible for menu planning, ingredient selection, quality control, and food preservation techniques. These tasks involve ensuring that food items are preserved and handled correctly before and after cooking.
Clinical or therapeutic dietitians are healthcare professionals who provide dietary advice to patients in hospital, helping them maintain good health by correcting nutrient deficiencies and ensuring an adequate diet for immunity. These experts are responsible for developing meal plans for patients with conditions such as kidney disease, obesity, and malnutrition.
In short, while all dieticians are nutritionists, not all nutritionists are dieticians. Only a Registered Dietician(RD) can prescribe food its quantity, frequency and mode of administration to patients undergoing treatment.
What to study
To become a nutritionist, one must have studied biology in the science group during their higher secondary education and complete a degree in food, nutrition & dietetics or home science. The duration of this degree program is typically three years, although some institutes now offer a four-year course viz. clinical nutrition and dietetics (CND), which includes a one-year internship.
As all the arts & science colleges in Kerala offering this degree program happen to be women's only, male students in the state have to seek admission in Amrita Vishwapeetam, Kollam or go outside the state to pursue the course.
It may be noted that the BSc Food Science and Technology program is distinct from nutrition and dietetics. This program concentrates on the technology used in the production of food items, preservation, quality assurance, packaging etc. Additionally, there is B.Tech program in food technology that places a greater emphasis on engineering principles and technology in the food industry.
To establish a successful career as a nutritionist and dietician, a master's degree is essential. Candidates who wish to pursue an MSc in Nutrition and Dietetics must have studied the subject at the undergraduate level or have a degree in Home Science, Food Technology, Zoology, Chemistry, Nursing, Medicine, Biotechnology, Microbiology, or other related Allied Health Sciences.
In India, to be a Registered Dietician (RD) one has to successfully complete
1. an undergraduate degree that includes the subject of food and nutrition,
2. a one year PG diploma or 2 year MSc in Nutrition & Dietetics followed by
3. a six-month internship at a recognized hospital.
Indian Dietetics Association (IDA) conducts a test for those who possess above qualifications and issue RD certifate on passing.
The National Institute of Nutrition (NIN), Hyderabad is a premium centre in India for postgraduate studies and research in nutrition. Other leading institutions for pursuing MSc programs in this field at the national level include WGSHA in Manipal, Pondicherry University, and the Institute of Home Economics in Delhi.
MSc in Nutrition and Dietetics can be pursued in Kerala at the following colleges. St. Teresa's, Ernakulam, Vimala, Thrissur,(both autonomus colleges), Government Women's College, Thiruvananthapuram, Alphonsa, Pala, St. Joseph's, Alappuzha, Unity College, Manjeri and Savitri Saboo Memorial College, Kozhikode.
Mixed colleges in nearby Karnataka state such as St Aloysius & Yenepoya in Mangalore offer both UG and PG courses.
The wide prevalence of lifestyle diseases and obesity not only among the middle and upper classes but also the entire society demand more nutritionists and dieticians.
An Article By Nizar Peruvad
Translated By Deena Hateek