When searching the internet for nutrition advice, you’ll find many self-proclaimed experts with limited education, experience, or knowledge. Investing in a qualified nutrition professional can greatly benefit your health. Conversely, working with someone without recognized qualifications could result in spending money on poor dietary advice and unnecessary supplements.
You may have come across the titles dietitian, nutritionist, nutrition coach, or nutritional therapist, and it can be confusing to choose who to see. Many people mistakenly group nutritionists, dietitians, and nutritional therapists together, leading to misconceptions about their roles. However, each of these professionals plays a crucial role in promoting health and well-being. Making an informed decision about who to consult can have a significant impact on your overall health. Through this blog, I aim to clarify their roles to help you make the right choice and find the most suitable person to address your health and nutrition concerns.
Dietitian
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. Dietitians must be registered with the statutory regulator, the Health & Care Professions Council (HCPC), to call themselves a dietitian. This means they need to complete degree-level education such as a BSc Hons in Dietetics, or a related science degree with a postgraduate diploma or higher degree in Dietetics, and then through supervised clinical practice, demonstrate their competence in dietetics to be eligible for HCPC registration.
Dietitians are regulated healthcare professionals qualified to assess, diagnose, and provide medical nutritional therapy and counseling to treat illness or health conditions at an individual and wider public health level. All advice discussed by dietitians must be supported by evidence and research and dietitians cannot offer their personal opinion for financial gain.
Historically dietitians mainly worked in the National Health Service but now increasingly they work in private clinics and and treat a wide range of complex clinical conditions such as diabetes, food allergies and intolerances, IBS syndrome, eating disorders, chronic fatigue, malnutrition, kidney failure, and various bowel disorders.
Because of the extensive education and experience of dietitians, the cost of appointments is often higher compared to nutritionists or nutritional therapists. This is because dietitians typically provide more specialised and intensive nutritional counseling, as opposed to nutritionists who generally offer advice on healthy eating.
Nutritionist
The title “Nutritionist” is not legally protected, so it’s not necessary to have a degree or be registered in the UK to work as one. This means anyone can call themselves a nutritionist. However, there are undergraduate degree-level qualifications in nutrition. Registered Nutritionists (RNutrs) hold a degree, such as a BSc Hons in Nutrition, and are registered with the UK Voluntary Register of Nutritionists (UKVRN), which is regulated by the Association for Nutrition (AfN). To ensure that you are working with a credible nutritionist, check if they are registered with the UKVRN. If they are not registered, it could indicate that they have not met the AfN’s strict standards of professional education and required competencies.
Nutritionists are not qualified to work with hospitalised and acutely ill patients, nor are they qualified to provide specific information about illness and special diets for medical conditions (unless they have completed further education and training). However, they can provide information about food and healthy eating to promote overall health and reduce the risk of illness.
Nutritionists commonly work in non-clinical settings such as the food industry, sports and exercise industries, media and communications, and teaching, or they may work as freelance nutritionists. Clinical freelance nutritionists will work with you to optimise your nutritional status through eating patterns etc.
Nutritional Therapist
The title of Nutritional Therapist is not protected by law, even though it may sound official. There are no specific qualifications required, so anyone can refer to themselves as a nutritional therapist. Because of this, nutritional therapists cannot register with either the UK Voluntary Register of Nutritionists (UKVRN) or the Health & Care Professions Council (HCPC).
Nutritional therapists who have undertaken accredited training can register themselves with the Complementary and Natural Healthcare Council (CNHC) to become a registered nutritional therapist. This is self-regulated rather than independently regulated. Additionally, they can also register with the British Association for Nutrition and Lifestyle Medicine (BANT).
Nutritional therapists usually offer general nutrition advice and wellness coaching to help prevent health issues. They often provide guidance on complementary treatments or recommendations that lack scientific evidence and are not recognized as valid treatments in conventional medicine, such as detoxification, colonic irrigation, food avoidance, and the use of supplementary nutrients. Additionally, they may offer non-NHS-approved allergy or intolerance testing and sell products to clients.
Unregulated terms.
The titles “health coach, food coach, nutritional specialist, wellness coach, and food and lifestyle coach” may sound credible, but they are all unregulated terms. As a result, all advice offered under these titles is unregulated and may not be evidence-based.
Please note: I am not implying that the advice you receive might not be credible. It is however important to note that there is no monitoring of the advice or products recommended under these unregulated titles and so I urge you to be cautious when seeking support.
Who should you choose for your nutrition support?
The answer to this question largely depends on your health goals. When it comes to nutrition support, your choice should align with your health goals. Dietitians and nutritionists both assist individuals in enhancing their health through dietary and lifestyle adjustments. Nevertheless, dietitians possess specific qualifications to practice, unlike nutritionists. This enables dietitians to provide more precise advice related to medical conditions.
If you require customized dietary guidance for a specific medical condition such as IBD or diabetes, opt for a registered dietitian for a more reliable choice. For general nutrition advice and direction, a nutritionist may suffice, but be sure to verify their credentials.
