Why see a dietitian?
Between all the advertising for weight loss and mixed messages about what it means to be “healthy”, eating well can seem like a real challenge. Luckily, the process does not need to be so complicated. A registered dietitian, or RD, also known as a registered dietitian nutritionist, or RDN, will work with you to develop a safe and realistic eating plan that can empower you to make healthy food choices that you enjoy. To guide and motivate you, an RD or RDN will use creative strategies to help with mindful eating, improving health outcomes and strengthening your relationship with food.
Anyone can legally call themselves a nutritionist in the United States. But, only an RD or RDN has completed multiple layers of education and training established by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics.
All RDs or RDNs must:
Get a four-year degree which includes a specially designed, accredited nutrition curriculum.
Complete an extensive supervised program of practice at a health care facility, foodservice organization or community agency.
Pass a rigorous registration exam.
Maintain continuing education credits throughout their career.
About 50% of all RDs and RDNs hold graduate degrees and many have certifications in specialized fields, such as sports, pediatric, renal, oncology, eating disorder nutrition and more.
Are you interested in managing your weight? Are you pregnant and trying to understand the right nutrition for pregnancy or breastfeeding? Are you interested in understanding how to maintain your health into your older years? These are just some of the reasons people seek the expert, science-based advice of an RDN.
10 Common Reasons to Consult with a RDN
You Want Help Managing Diabetes, High Blood Pressure or Other Chronic Diseases
An RDN can help you better understand your condition and how the foods you choose might affect it. An RDN can help you interpret your labs and discuss how changes in your diet may benefit your condition.
You Are Thinking of Having or Have Had Gastric Bypass Surgery
Since your stomach can only manage small servings after surgery, it’s tricky to get the nutrients that your body needs. Our body also needs more of specific nutrients after surgery due to changes in absorption of certain nutrients. As a part of your health care team, an RDN helps you make changes to your eating plan to meet your needs.
You Have Digestive Problems
A registered dietitian nutritionist provides guidance to help fine-tune your diet and help determine what foods may be causing your symptoms. For example, limiting fried foods, or caffeinated and carbonated drinks.
You Have a Food Allergy, Intolerance, or Sensitivity
Are you unsure what you can eat because of celiac disease, food allergies/intolerances, lactose intolerance, or another condition? An RDN can teach you strategies about identifying foods to avoid and help you find substitutions to keep your diet enjoyable.
You or Your Child Is Experiencing Disordered Eating
As part of the treatment team, RDNs counsel individuals with eating disorders such as restrictive eating, over-exercise behaviors, anorexia and bulimia.
You Need to Gain or Lose Weight
Popular diets in the media may sound like the quick ticket to weight gain or loss, but they often do not work over a long period of time and you end up gaining the weight back. An RDN can suggest food sources and activity for healthy weight gain or weight loss.
You Want Practical Lifestyle Advice
Do you find it tiring and difficult sorting through all of the fact and fiction of nutrition headlines? When you see an RD or RDN, the last thing you'll get is one-size-fits-all diet advice. After learning about your diet history, health history, favorite foods, eating and exercise habits, a RD or RDN will help you set goals and prioritize. Follow-up visits will focus on maintenance and monitoring your progress.
You Want to Improve Your Performance in Sports
Do you find that you are hitting a plateau when you exercise and want to learn how to sustain your energy during your long runs, bike rides or sports games? An RDN can help you set goals to achieve results — whether you're weight lifting, running a marathon, hiking or jogging with your dog.
You're Pregnant, Trying to Get Pregnant, or a New Parent
An RDN can help to make sure you get the nutrients you need for a healthy pregnancy. And, after the baby comes, an RDN can can ensure you and your little one get the nutrition needed to support growth.
You Want to Improve Your Understanding of Nutrition Science
Are you curious about where all of this nutrition information comes from and how to apply it to yourself? An RDN can walk you through the complex metabolism of food in a simplified way so that you can understand the foundation of nutrition.
