In everyday use the terms Dietitian and Nutritionist are often interchanged but there is a significant difference in their work. Crucially, only dietitians can recommend special diets for an individual’s specific medical condition.
Dietitians
Registered Dietitians (RDs) are the only qualified health professionals that assess, diagnose and treat dietary and nutritional problems at an individual and wider public health level. They work with both healthy and sick people. Uniquely, dietitians use the most up-to-date public health and scientific research on food, health and disease which they translate into practical guidance to enable people to make appropriate lifestyle and food choices.
Dietitians are the only nutrition professionals to be regulated by law and are governed by an ethical code to ensure that they always work to the highest standard.
The British Dietetic Association is the professional body and Trade Union for dietitians and is also responsible for designing the curriculum for the profession. Please see the link below to their website.
Dietitians are able to manage the whole system from advice and recommendation to an individual’s access to all NHS approved borderline substances, nutritional products and supplements, with or without prescription. A ‘borderline substance’ is a healthcare product that crosses the border between two of the following categories: medicine, food supplement and cosmetic.
Nutritionists
Nutritionists work in various roles, including public health, health improvement, health policy, local and national government, in the private sector, Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) and in education and research.
Nutritionists are qualified to provide information about food and healthy eating, but not about special diets for individuals’ medical conditions.
Anyone can call themselves a Nutritionist, a Nutritional Therapist, a Clinical Nutritionist, or a Diet Expert. They are not permitted by law to call themselves dietitians.
It is worth asking for details of the qualification of anyone you are considering taking advice from regarding swallowing issues. Check with you doctor to ensure they are the correct person for your medical needs.