WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A NUTRITIONIST & A DIETITIAN?

This is something I get asked quite a lot, so I’ve decided to put this up on here, so that there is a permanent resource for those that aren’t sure.

One of the differences between nutritionists and dietitians is that Registered Dietitians (RDs) are regulated, while nutritionists are not. This is why anyone who has done a short online nutrition course can call themselves a nutritionist. However, the Association for Nutrition (AfN) is working towards the regulation of Registered Nutritionists (RNs), which hopefully will happen within the next couple of years.

So to distinguish between a self-proclaimed nutritionist and a qualified one, look for letters RN beside their name. Registered Associate Nutritionists (ANutr) are one step below RN in their career (me soon), who need to gain work experience for 2-3 years before they can apply for a full RN qualification. ANutrs can give nutrition advise, but their work needs to be overlooked by an RN or an RD.

Another difference is that RDs can treat clinical conditions and work in medical environments, while RNs can’t. Nevertheless, RNs can specialise in specific areas through CPD (Continuous Professional Development) and that way, they MAY be able to work on a case that would normally be outside of scope of practice BUT this really depends on a particular case and respecting the scope of practice is an essential part of a practitioner’s integrity.

With regards to CPD, all RDs , RNs and ANutrs are required to complete a certain number of hours yearly in order to learn more about a specific specialisation and stay up to date with the ever-changing world of science.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

Also, RDs and RNs approach is evidence-based and both require a scientific degree. In contrast, Nutritional Therapists’ approach focuses more on alternative / complementary / functional medicine, which may very well be valid in its own ways and appropriate in certain cases, but scientific data for this type of approach is often lacking. Nutritional Therapists are not regulated, but they can register with the British Association of Nutrition and Lifestyle Medicine (BANT). Nutritional Therapists often don’t have a science degree, but rather complete a related diploma. This is not to say that there aren’t some good Nutritional Therapists out there, it’s just that there is no set standard for a required education / qualification.

Lastly, "diet or nutrition experts” are purely self-regulated and often their skills are based on personal interest in nutrition or short, unaccredited courses.

This is by no means meant to praise or look down on the different nutrition professionals, but it is important to know the difference, so you can evaluate what level of expertise you desire based on your concern.