In This ArticleView AllIn This ArticleWhat Is a Registered Dietitian?What Is a Nutritionist?Red Flags to Watch Out ForThe Bottom Line
In This ArticleView All
View All
In This Article
What Is a Registered Dietitian?
What Is a Nutritionist?
Red Flags to Watch Out For
The Bottom Line
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Photo:Design elements: Getty Images. Collage: Cassie Basford.
Design elements: Getty Images. Collage: Cassie Basford.
“Carbsare NOT good for you.”
“Berberine supplementsare nature’s Ozempic and will help you drop pounds fast.”
“Detox diets can help you flush out toxins.”
Misinformation about nutrition can do more than negatively impact physical health—it can also lead to lasting damage to one’s relationship with food. And as a nutrition professional with a deep love for food, that’s the last thing I’d ever want someone to experience.
So, what’s the difference between a dietitian and a nutritionist in the first place? And how are you actually supposed to know what information to trust? Here I’ll break it down and cut through the confusion to help you feel confident in what nutrition advice to trust.
It’s important to note that while some may genuinely be interested in becoming a registered dietitian, not everyone has the privilege of pursuing higher education and years of unpaid professional experiences. There are amazing organizations likeDiversify Dieteticsdedicated to making it more accessible for people to achieve the coveted “RD” credentials, and to increase the ethnic and racial diversity of the profession to be as diverse as the folks registered dietitians work with. Their important work is a big part of making appropriate, culturally informed, evidence-based nutrition information available for people of all backgrounds.
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The work didn’t stop once I earned my RD badge. Even now as a registered dietitian, I’m required to log 75 hours of continuing education credits every five years to maintain my registration and align with acode of ethicsto ensure I’m practicing at the highest standard.
As you can see, becoming a registered dietitian is no simple feat. While you don’t typically see people pretending to be registered nurses, medical doctors or dentists, it’s unfortunately common for people to pretend to be nutrition professionals who are not—especially on social media.
A Word on Titles …
Other common nutrition credentials can include being acertified nutrition specialist(CNS),certified diabetes educator(CDE) ordietetic technician(DTR), both with their own sets of professional requirements. Those with master’s and doctorate degrees in nutrition sciences may also refer to themselves as nutritionists.
Simply put, a registered dietitian could call themselves a nutritionist, but a nutritionist cannot call themselves a registered dietitian. The term “nutritionist” refers to a broad category of those who aim to help people eat healthy, and it does not have one definition. In isolation, it doesn’t reflect specific training, schooling, credentials or experience.
I’m also starting to see more and more titles pop up, like “certified nutritionist” and “holistic nutritionist.” It seems like folks use these titles after taking abbreviated courses—some as short as a few weeks. And while they may sound official, they’re not.
This does not mean that all nutritionists are misinformed. But because the term is unregulated, it can make it difficult to know who to trust. Here atEatingWell, we work with a number of nutrition professionals and nutrition writers who may not be registered dietitians, but their personal and professional track record aligns with our brand, and we trust them with our content. To add an extra layer of confidence, we also have registered dietitians review every single piece of nutrition content before publishing.
Here are some of the most common red flags to watch out for to help you identify what advice to be wary of.
Would you want to get a root canal from someone who isn’t a trained dentist? Or heart surgery from someone who isn’t a cardiac surgeon? Probably not. Which is also why you shouldn’t receive your nutrition information or personal nutrition counseling from someone who isn’t a qualified nutrition professional. I feel passionately about this topic because I’ve lived it.
In the age of social media, misinformation can travel further and faster than ever before. So it’s more important now than ever to proceed with caution when it comes to where and from whom you get your nutrition advice. Knowing the difference between a registered dietitian and someone without professional nutrition expertise can help you critically decide what advice to consider.
So, the next time you have a question about your eating habits, talk to a registered dietitian—a specialized nutrition professional. And if you see a “nutritionist” influencer telling you you need to cut out carbs, processed foods or seed oils, keep scrolling.
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