What is a dietitian?

Well, here’s how the Dietitians Association of Australia defines a dietitian – “A professional who applies the science of food and nutrition to promote health, prevent and treat disease to optimise the health of individuals, groups, communities and populations”.

Dietitians are able treat a range of health conditions. We are university qualified professionals who understand the complex interplay between nutrition, our bodies and health. We think critically and are able to analyse the evidence and science surrounding nutrition. We provide expert dietary advice for specific conditions and will provide you with tailored recommendations and ongoing support to help you improve your health and wellbeing.

Dietitians consider the whole person – including your history, relevant investigations, clinical symptoms, dietary intake as well as mitigate any risks along the way. Together, with your nutrition goals in mind, we develop a suitable plan to help you feel your best.

Dietitians are versatile professionals. We can do many things! Here is a snapshot of some of the tasks we can assist in:

• Assessing your nutrition needs
• Developing personalised eating and meal plans for specific health conditions
• Provide nutrition counselling and support (including across the lifespan)
• Education around healthy eating, grocery shopping and food preparation
• Developing nutrition communications, programs and policies
• Providing consulting services to corporate organisations, food companies, schools or healthcare facilities.

Dietitian vs Nutritionist

In Australia, there is a difference between a dietitian and nutritionist/other nutritional health provider. All dietitians are nutritionists; however nutritionists without a university dietetics degree cannot call themselves dietitians. The dietetics profession is also highly regulated by a respected body called the Dietitians Association of Australia. Dietitians with the Accredited Practising Dietitian (APD) credential commit to ongoing education, learning and training throughout their careers. If a dietitian holds the APD credential, you can be assured of their lasting commitment to providing best practise to their clients or patients. APD’s also must adhere to a code of conduct and have the knowledge and skills found in the National Competency Standards for Dietitians.

What to expect

Your first appointment will typically last between 40-60 minutes. Here, we will discuss all things you! To begin with, we will discuss your nutrition goals for the appointment and beyond. These goals will become central to your nutrition plan. Your dietitian may ask about your relevant medical or surgical history, social and living situation, anthropometry, biochemistry, recent investigations (e.g. scans, scopes), clinical symptoms, medications and assess your dietary intake. From here, together we will discuss a suitable plan to implement. Your dietitian may also provide you with nutrition education and all the resources you need to get started.

It is a good idea to bring along any recent blood tests, relevant medical records, Medicare card and/or private health fund details to your first appointment.

Your dietitian will usually suggest one or more review appointments to check your progress from the initial plan. This also allows the opportunity to implement any changes required for you to continue progressing to your goals.

You do not need a referral to see a dietitian, you can self-request an appointment. However, you may be entitled to a government rebate and seeing your GP prior can be helpful in determining your eligibility for this. Your GP can also order any blood tests or investigations to assist the dietitian.

If you feel you may need to see a dietitian, feel free to get in contact with me and we can discuss how I can help you!