It can be easy to confuse what a “dietitian” and a “nutritionist” does since many people use the two words interchangeably. Things can be even tougher to figure out when a lot of people on social media use the term “nutritionist” very loosely. It can make it seem like everyone has the same qualifications, when in reality that’s not the case at all. To encapsulate the differences, many say: “All dietitians are nutritionists, but not all nutritionists are dietitians.” So, what are the actual differences and why is it important for your health?
What exactly is a dietitian?
Dietitians (commonly referred to as RD’s, or RDN’s), are nutrition experts that can be found working in several different settings. They can work with individuals in a hospital or counseling setting, or they can take things broadly and work in the community. You’re likely to find dietitians in other places like the government, food supplement companies, food service operations, schools and universities, and even grocery stores.
Dietitians have a scope of practice called medical nutrition therapy (MNT), which is uniquely protected by their license. This can cover things like providing nutrition support such as feedings via tube or IV in an intensive care unit to malnourished patients, or offering nutrition interventions for people with eating disorders at a mental health facility. It’s common for dietitians to be part of the greater interdisciplinary team, working with mental health practitioners, nurses, physicians, pharmacists, and speech language pathologists depending on the setting.
What exactly is a nutritionist?
Nutritionists can also work with people individually or on a broad scale, but by providing general nutrition advice rather than MNT. There is no regulation for their practice and the title is not protected in the United States, unlike RDs. Nutritionists can work in similar places as RDs, but they can’t do the same things. It’s actually more difficult for nutritionists to find work in corporate or hospital settings due to the inability to practice MNT. Some people who get a degree in nutrition but don’t fully go down the RD route (explained below) are also called nutritionists. These people are more likely to find work because of the degree, but it’s still more difficult.
What are the education differences?
Nutritionists are not required to go through a formal education program approved by the Dietetics’ Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND). This is what makes it outstandingly easy for people to use the title freely.
To become a dietitian, you must get a formal education by getting a bachelor’s degree in nutrition with a dietetics focus, or a master’s degree if your bachelor’s was unrelated. To make the process easier, many people opt for a program that includes a verification statement from a Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD), showing that they have taken all required courses.
After meeting educational requirements, students have to complete a minimum of 1,200 supervised practice hours at a dietetic internship program. These are programs generally offered by hospitals, universities, and management companies. Different programs tend to have different concentrations and focuses, but all interns will be trained in a clinical/hospital setting, community environment, and food service operation.
Finally, after finishing the internship program, students are eligible to sit for the Commission of Dietetic Registration Exam and officially become licensed. In 2024, all candidates will need to have a master’s degree in order to do this. Many internship programs are now switching gears, offering two-year educations instead of just one, in order to offer a master’s degree as well. Other programs are now simply adding the advanced degree to their list of admission requirements. The additional requirement could potentially act as another barrier, which already hinders low-income people and minorities from entering the field.
Who should you call with serious concerns?
Things trickle down further and can get more complicated depending on individual state laws, but generally speaking, this is how things break down. In the United States, several people call themselves nutritionists to gain credibility with an audience. It works because not many people know the differences between that and the RD title. Hopefully now you feel more informed when it comes down to consuming nutritional media, and more specifically who you are receiving it from. Additionally, if you have any specific medical concerns that affect you nutritionally, finding an RD that can practice MNT will always be the way to go!
