By eating the right foods, people can stay healthy—and even regain their health. Many people, however, need help in choosing the right foods. That’s where dietitians come in. They help people assess their nutritional needs and improve their health by changing their diets.
Dietitians also design special diets for people who have certain illnesses. For example, they may prescribe low-fat, low-salt meals for those suffering from heart disease. Some dietitians even deal with critically injured and comatose patients who require specialized, intravenously-administered diets.
There are different kinds of dietitians. Clinical dietitians provide comprehensive nutritional services for patients in hospitals, nursing homes, and other institutions. They may concentrate their efforts on certain groups of people, such as cancer patients or those who suffer from obesity. Keeping strict records on the results of their treatments is an important aspect of their job.
Community or public health dietitians often work with specific groups, such as senior citizens, students, or at-risk communities. They use a variety of methods to teach the communities they deal with about proper nutrition. For instance, to teach people about the benefits of healthy eating, they may hold group classes, give seminars, and develop fliers or radio and television ads.
Foodservice management dietitians handle large-scale meal planning and budgeting for hospitals and company cafeterias. It is their job to hire, train, and direct other dietitians and foodservice workers. They budget the amount of money to be spent on food and purchase the food, equipment, and supplies. Administrative dietitians may also enforce sanitary and safety regulations and prepare records and reports.
Private sector dietitians usually work for food processing companies, helping them create and publicize food products. They may analyze foods and develop product labels or prepare other literature explaining the nutritional content of the products.
Dietitians can also teach or be consultants. Teaching dietitians lecture on nutrition, food chemistry, or food service administration to students of nursing, medicine, pharmacy, dentistry, and other health disciplines. Those who work as consultants set up their own businesses and offer their expertise on food and diet to both companies and individuals.
NOC Code: 3132