Dietician Vs. Nutritionist

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anulle2009
anulle2009 Posts: 580 Member
in Food and Nutrition
What is the difference between the two??

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  • rita27ny
    rita27ny Posts: 820 Member
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    Good question i would like to know too!
  • horror_hamster
    horror_hamster Posts: 278
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    according to merriam-webster, a dietitian is An expert on diet and nutrition. A nutritionist is A person who studies or is an expert in nutrition.

    They both list the other as a synonym... I dont really know if there's a real difference...
  • sunnyday789
    sunnyday789 Posts: 309 Member
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    It may depend on where you live.I think a dietitian is a person who is licensed and registered by state/province/ whereas a nutriionist is someone who may have taken some courses and gives nutrional advice.
    I would say all dietitians are nutritionists but not all nutriotionist are dietitians.
  • zbmb30
    zbmb30 Posts: 178 Member
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    I always say that my cousin is a nutritionist, but maybe her title is a dietian. She has her masters degree in the field and works at a hospital.
  • RunningRachel2012
    RunningRachel2012 Posts: 18
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    To be a dietitian I believe that you have to have a degree, however anyone can call themselves a nutritionist.
  • juliea344
    juliea344 Posts: 3 Member
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    I am a Registered Dietician. This requires a 4-year degree in nutrition as well as a clinical internship. RD's must also maintain their registered status with the American Dietetic association by completing the required amount of continuing education credits. There are also Dieticians who are not registered for whatever reason.

    Anyone can call themselves a nutritionist but there is no educational criteria for doing so.
  • vaughny
    vaughny Posts: 145
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    a dietician has to go to college for 4 years and in most states take a year interenship and state test to become registered anyone can set up shop and call themselevesa nutrtionist
  • TrainingWithTonya
    TrainingWithTonya Posts: 1,741 Member
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    It depends on what the laws are in your state here in the US. A Registered Dietitian has to have a 4 year degree and do an internship in dietetics plus pass tests for their boards. Some states also regulate nutritionists as to having to have a degree and pass a test, but they don't do an internship. And yet other states don't have any regulation for nutritionists at all. Personally, I've taken the courses and have nutrition as my minor but there isn't an intern option in the nutrition program at my school, so I took a nutrition certification to be legally called a nutritionist here.
  • anulle2009
    anulle2009 Posts: 580 Member
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    I am a Registered Dietician. This requires a 4-year degree in nutrition as well as a clinical internship. RD's must also maintain their registered status with the American Dietetic association by completing the required amount of continuing education credits. There are also Dieticians who are not registered for whatever reason.

    Anyone can call themselves a nutritionist but there is no educational criteria for doing so.

    Thank you!!!
  • rml_16
    rml_16 Posts: 16,414 Member
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    What is the difference between the two??

    Level and depth of education. A registered dietician (requires a college degree) is far more educated than a nutritionist (requires no college degree).
  • Fairysoul
    Fairysoul Posts: 1,361 Member
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    Well a dietician can help people who have diebities or other things like gluten allergies... but they don't necisarily advise nutrition in a way that a nutritionist would... My dietician told me to take my daughter to mcdonalds to help her gain weight were as the nutrtionist would reccomend things like eating avocado and whole foods that would be healthy...
  • ablykins
    ablykins Posts: 200 Member
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    Very simply dietitians specialize in dietetics, which includes knowledge of nutrition concepts and with an emphasis on dietary counseling and helping people or groups of individuals meet their dietary needs in both clinical and private settings. To be a R.D. you must have completed a C.A.D.E. program of study, complete an ADA approved dietetic internship, and then take the national test. A college degree is not required, but specialized coursework is.

    A nutritionist is an expert on nutrition with a heavy emphasis on the science of food, biochemistry, cell metabolism, etc. Nutritionists focus on the science of nutrition in many areas- whether it be or humans or animals. Many nutritionists can take the test to become registered dietitians.

    Although both of have training in cell biology, food science, and chemistry there are differences between the two science disciplines.
  • pereztech930
    pereztech930 Posts: 60 Member
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    I am a Registered Dietician. This requires a 4-year degree in nutrition as well as a clinical internship. RD's must also maintain their registered status with the American Dietetic association by completing the required amount of continuing education credits. There are also Dieticians who are not registered for whatever reason.

    Anyone can call themselves a nutritionist but there is no educational criteria for doing so.

    That explains why the "nutritionist" i visited didn't know much. i felt that i knew more about weight loss than she did and never went to my follow up visit.
  • auntiebabs
    auntiebabs Posts: 1,754 Member
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    I am a Registered Dietician. This requires a 4-year degree in nutrition as well as a clinical internship. RD's must also maintain their registered status with the American Dietetic association by completing the required amount of continuing education credits. There are also Dieticians who are not registered for whatever reason.

    Anyone can call themselves a nutritionist but there is no educational criteria for doing so.

    I did not know this...
    years ago my doctor sent me to a "Nutritionist" so I'd always thought that was the position that had more requirements... bad on me.
  • Grokette
    Grokette Posts: 3,330 Member
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    Well a dietician can help people who have diebities or other things like gluten allergies... but they don't necisarily advise nutrition in a way that a nutritionist would... My dietician told me to take my daughter to mcdonalds to help her gain weight were as the nutrtionist would reccomend things like eating avocado and whole foods that would be healthy...

    Yep, most R.D. - are brainwashed into the indoctrination of the conventional medical world and Big Pharma as we see today. They often offer outdated advise which has clearly been proven to be wrong and false. This is why the licensure is required and maintaining a "status" with the A.D.A which is also full of *kitten* in my opinion.

    Most Nutritionists get up to date schooling and often use WHOLE foods eating plans to guide their clients.

    After working with my Naturopathic M.D. - who is also a nutritionist through Bastyr School of Natural Medicine, she inspired me to become a Certified Holistic Nutrition Educator.

    I don't believe in the USDA / FDA food pyramid and I don't believe in Mainstream medicine so I could never go down the path of becoming a Registered Dietician

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