{"id":17430,"date":"2020-01-18T00:18:51","date_gmt":"2020-01-18T00:18:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.humnutrition.com\/blog\/?p=17430"},"modified":"2021-02-09T23:55:15","modified_gmt":"2021-02-09T23:55:15","slug":"questions-about-dietitians","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.humnutrition.com\/blog\/questions-about-dietitians\/","title":{"rendered":"A Dietitian Answers The Most Googled Questions About Dietitians"},"content":{"rendered":"

Whether you’re trying to lose weight, improve your skin, or have more energy, working one-on-one with a dietitian is a wonderful way to support your health goals. But as not everyone has had the chance to visit one, it appears that the general population has many looming questions about dietitians and their credentials.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\r\n

To explain all about who dietitians are and what they do, here is HUM’s Director of Education, registered dietitian Sarah Greenfield, RD, CSSD<\/a> to answer the most commonly googled questions about dietitians. (Looking for questions to ask a dietitian? We’ve got you covered here<\/a>.)<\/em><\/p>\r\n\"Dietitian\r\n

Dietitian Q&A with Sarah Greenfield, RDN<\/h2>\r\n

What does a registered dietitian do?<\/h3>\r\n

A dietitian, in my opinion, is primarily a health educator. They help people connect to a healthier lifestyle, giving them the tips they need to make a transformation.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

What’s the difference between a nutritionist and a dietitian?<\/h3>\r\nThis is one of my favorite questions about dietitians. I answer it a lot.\r\n

Basically, it’s an education difference. A nutritionist can really be anybody. There’s not a specific certification that needs to be in place to call yourself a nutritionist.\u00a0A dietitian, on the other hand, has to go through an accredited program and then take a nationwide exam through a company called the Commission on Dietetic Registration<\/a>. Once you pass that exam, then you can call yourself a dietitian.<\/p>\r\nSomething that can be kind of confusing is that registered dietitians are now also called RDNs or registered dietitian nutritionists<\/em>. So, you want to make sure that you understand the difference between the two<\/a>. Don’t get me wrong, nutritionists are great. I don’t want to discredit someone who is a nutritionist, but a dietitian goes through a much more rigorous training than a nutritionist.\r\n

How do you become a dietitian and how long does it take?<\/h3>\r\nAll in all, becoming a dietitian is about a five-year process. I did a four-year Bachelor of Science program in Nutrition. Then, after I got my degree, I was able to apply for a dietetic internship at a hospital which took another year to complete.\r\n

What skills do you need to be a dietitian?<\/h3>\r\n

In my opinion, the skills that you need to be a dietitian are:<\/p>\r\n\r\n