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What is a Consulting Dietician?

Consulting dieticians are experts in the fields of food and nutrition. They work with various health care related organizations to identify and improve a client's nutritional needs.

  1. Function

    • Consulting dieticians specialize in nutritional assessment, health and nutrition education and advancement and menu and recipe improvement. They also oversee different institutions and manufacturers; ensuring that they meet all mandated sanitation, safety, quality and control standards.

    Features

    • Consulting dieticians may have a private practice or work contractually for others. They can be employed by schools, companies, hospitals, the community, food producers and others. Many times they work with individuals and aid in specific cases. They perform assessments to identify the areas that need improvement and educate their clients about the role of food in regards their optimum health. Consulting dieticians counsel on the benefits and risks of certain foods and how removing or adding them to a diet can result in the alleviation of a lot of symptoms. A healthy diet is important for everyone; either in helping the treatment of a preexisting medical condition or for preventative measures.

    Significance

    • Consulting dieticians frequently work with individuals who have conditions in which their food intake plays a major role. For example, a person whom has Celiac Disease or is gluten sensitive (a condition where the absorption of food nutrients via the small intestine is impaired by an allergic reaction to the gluten protein) may need help creating a dietary plan that ensures they aren't ingesting any gluten, yet still receiving all of the nutrients that they the body needs. Meals can be very complicated for those who have fixed dietary restrictions. Their dietician could inform them of alternative options, substitutions and recipes so they have a variety of foods to choose from. They may also recommend supplements to foster their overall health.

    Effects

    • Given the increased attention in the dietary arena and recognized importance of nutrition, there are more and more job opportunities in the field of diet and nutrition. Consulting dieticians are now also working with food manufacturers, food marketing and food distribution companies. They assist the companies with their campaigns and formulating the nutritional content of the products. Some are hired to conduct research and write reports on the various benefits and advantages of the products as well.

    Identification

    • The US Department of Labor's Bureau of Statistics, reports that dietitians and nutritionists held about 57,000 jobs in 2006. More than half of all jobs were in hospitals, nursing care facilities, outpatient care centers or offices of physicians and other health practitioners. State and local government agencies; including health departments, schools, rehabilitation centers and correctional facilities, provided added jobs for individuals in the field. More statistics and resources regarding the profession can be found in the Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2008-09 at bls.gov/oco/ocos077.htm.

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