An Integral Part of Society
Have you ever wondered who plans school lunch, meals for athletes in world competitions or foods for sick patients in hospital? The answer is dietitians. Dietitians are tasked with the role of supervising, planning and preparing meals to ensure that people such as students, athletes and patients get the right nutrient-rich foods to make them as strong and healthy as possible. Some dietitians also work in educating the public about the right food choices so that they can buy and cook healthy, nutrient-rich foods.
Qualified Professionals
Most dietitians are registered and commonly referred to as RDs. They play an important role in our lives as they supervise, plan and prepare healthy meals for patients in hospital, school children and sports athletes. Dietitians hold the necessary qualifications and credentials to be able to perform the tasks they do, and many are members of different medical boards and health associations in their states and the country.
Facts About Dietitians
The following article will discuss some of the most interesting facts about dietitians, so why not check them out.
1. A dietitian’s role isn’t only to supervise, plan and prepare healthy meals. He or she also advises on what foods patients with certain conditions should eat. For instance, what foods a person with hypertension should eat as well as help with their eating regimen.
2. Dietitians don’t only work in hospitals, offices etc. They also work in war-torn areas and with refugee food programs like the UN.
3. Dietitian is derived from the word ‘dietetics’ which comes from the Greek word ‘diaitia’ and means ‘way of life’. Nutrition plays an important role in the cause, cure and prevention of numerous disease that date back to the origins of history itself.
4. Dietitians are very compassionate, friendly and caring people who translate the art of nutrition into everyday advice for disease management and health promotion.
5. Dietitians and nutritionists are similar, but serve different areas of specialty and should not be confused with one another. Nutritionists provide medical nutrition therapy to people suffering from nutrition-related ailments. Dietitians on the other hand teach patients of watch over their diets. They motivate and provide nutrition counseling that’s necessary to empowering them into making healthier food choices. And eating behaviors that meet nutrition needs
6. Dietitians who work in hospitals and other healthcare facilities are called Clinical Dieticians. Their community involvement expands through to home visits.
7. Dietitians play a crucial part in providing nutritional support for people at risk of becoming malnourished or obese. These include people who can’t eat orally, need tube feeding and those experiencing difficulty in consuming adequate amounts of nutrition orally.
8. Dietitians help correct harmful and erroneous nutritional advice that patients get from different unqualified and unregulated sources.
9. Dietitians are human too, and they enjoy food just like everyone.