Published on 04/10/2008

What they do:

Career Descriptions: Dietitians and Nutritionists Specialties and Responsibilities

What they do:

• Plan food and nutrition programs
• Supervise meal preparation
• Oversee the serving of meals
• Prevent and treat illnesses by promoting healthy eating habits and recommending dietary modifications
• A dietitian might teach a patient with high blood pressure how to use less salt when preparing meals
• They might create a diet reduced in fat and sugar for an overweight patient

Other responsibilities may include:

• Managing food service systems for institutions such as hospitals and schools
• Promote sound eating habits through education
• Conduct research

Many dietitians also specialize in:

• Clinical dietitian
• Community dietitian
• Management dietitian
• Or consultant

What is a clinical dietitian?

• They provide nutritional services to patients in hospitals, nursing care facilities and other institutions
• Assess patients’ nutritional needs
• Develop and implement nutrition programs
• Evaluate and report the results
• Confer with doctors and other health care professionals to coordinate medical and nutritional needs

A clinical dietitian may specialize in:

• Managing the weight of overweight patients
• Or in the care of renal (kidney), diabetic, or critically ill patients

Clinical dietitians in nursing care facilities, small hospitals, or correctional facilities may manage the food service department.

What is a community dietitian?

• They counsel individuals and groups on nutritional practices designed to prevent disease and promote health

Where do community dietitians work?

• Public health clinics
• Home health agencies
• Health maintenance organizations

Responsibilities of a community dietitian include:

• Evaluating individual needs
• Developing nutritional care plans
• Instructing individuals and their families on grocery shopping and food preparation

The increased public interest in nutrition has led to job opportunities in:

• Food manufacturing
• Advertising
• And marketing

In the above areas, dietitians:

• Analyze foods
• Prepare literature for distribution
• Report on issues such as dietary fiber, vitamin supplements
• Or nutritional content of recipes

What are management dietitians?

• They oversee large-scale meal planning and preparation in health care facilities, company cafeterias, prisons and schools
• They hire, train and direct other dietitians and food service workers
• Budget for and purchase food, equipment and supplies
• Enforce sanitary and safety regulations
• Prepare records and reports

What are consultant dietitians?

• They work under contract with health care facilities or in their own private practice

Responsibilities of consultant dietitians include:

• Performing nutrition screenings for their clients
• Offer advice on diet-related concerns such as weight loss and cholesterol reduction

Where do consultant dietitians work?

• Wellness programs
• Sports teams
• Supermarkets
• Nutrition-related businesses

They may also consult with:

• Food service managers
• Provide expertise in sanitation, safety procedures, menu development, budgeting and planning

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2008-09 Edition, Dietitians and Nutritionists, on the Internet (visited April 10, 2008)

Written by: Connie Limon For more career description information visit http://smalldogs2.com/CareerDescriptions For a variety of FREE reprint articles and special topic articles rarely found elsewhere visit Camelot Articles at http://www.camelotarticles.com

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