Nutrition and Dietetics Overview
The food we eat has a significant impact on our health, according to scientific studies. Changes in diet can help prevent, control, and treat many health problems, including, diabetes, weight management, and certain risk factors for cancer and heart disease.
Dietetics is the science of how food and nutrition affect human health. The profession of dietetics is focused on using the transformative power of food and nutrition to help people live healthy and active lives.
Registered dietitian nutritionists (RDNs) are food and nutrition experts who use science and evidence-based practice to help people improve their health. Nutrition and dietetic technicians, registered (NDTRs) work with RDNs to provide care and consultation to patients. Both are nationally credentialed and are an integral part of health care and foodservice management teams. NDTRs focus on providing general nutrition screening and education, while RDNs provide higher level medical nutrition therapy, nutrition education, and nutrition counseling.
Professionals in the field of dietetics often focus their efforts on specific populations, facilities or initiatives, including:
- Designing individual nutritional therapies to address specific health issues, such as food allergies, unhealthy weight, diabetes, and kidney disease.
- Developing facility-wide nutrition programs for health care, businesses, educational, correctional, athletic, and other institutions
- Increasing public awareness of proper nutritional standards and habits
- Improving the accuracy and comprehension of food labels
- Ensuring the safety of our food supply
- Researching how changes in diet (such as increasing fiber intake) affect health (by improving gut health)
- Working with food manufacturers to improve the nutritional quality of prepared foods
The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that employment for RDNs will grow 7% from 2023 to 2033, faster than the average projection of 4% compared to other occupations. It notes that the role of food and nutrition in health and wellness is well known, leading to an increase in employment opportunities for RDNs.
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The Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics reviewed this overview.