If you want legal advice, you seek the expertise of a lawyer. If you need a knee operation, you should visit an orthopedic surgeon. If you want nutrition advice, to whom should you turn? Of course you want to speak with a credible expert who has training in the field of nutrition. So, who are these people and where do you find them?

One option is to seek the expertise of a registered dietitian (RD). The RD has completed  at  least  a  bachelor’s  degree  at  an  accredited  university  or  college  in  the United States that has incorporated specific coursework and supervised practice that have  been  approved  by  the  accrediting  body  of the American  Dietetic Association (ADA). RDs have also passed a national exam administered by the ADA. They have an understanding of medical nutrition therapy, which is an integration of nutrition counseling and dietary changes based on an individual’s medical history and current health needs to improve that person’s health.

RDs work with their patients to make dietary changes that can help prevent diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, stroke, and obesity. Many physicians, based on the diagnoses of their patients, refer them to RDs for nutrition advice and guidance. RDs must participate in continuing professional education in order to remain current in the fast-changing world of nutrition, medicine, and health and maintain their registration. RDs work in hospitals and other health care facilities, private practice, universities, medical schools, professional athletic teams, food companies, and other nutrition-related businesses.

Individuals with advanced degrees in nutrition can also provide credible nutrition information. Sometimes physicians may have taken a nutrition course in medical school and gone on to get a master of science in public health (MPH), which involves some nutrition courses, or an MS in nutrition at an accredited university or college.

Some public health nutritionists may have an undergraduate degree in nutrition but didn’t complete a supervised practice, so are not eligible to take the RA exam. These individuals can work in the government organizing community outreach nutrition programs, such as programs for the elderly.

In  order  to  protect  the  health  of the  public  receiving  nutrition  information, more than 30 states in the United States currently license nutrition professionals who must meet specified educational and experience criteria to be considered experts in the field of nutrition. A person who meets these qualifications is a licensed dietitian (LD) and so will have the letters “LD” after his or her name. Because RDs have completed the rigorous standards set forth by the ADA, they automatically meet the criteria for LD and often will have both “RD” and “LD” after their names.

Be careful when taking nutrition advice from a trainer at the gym or the person who works at the local health food store. Whereas some of these people may be credible, many are not, and thus, less likely to give you valid information that’s based on solid scientific evidence. Anyone who calls himself or herself a nutritionist may have taken few or no accredited courses in nutrition. You  also  need  to  beware  of individuals  who  specialize  in  health  quackery  or fraud. Such scammers will try to persuade you with false nutrition claims and anecdotal stories that aren’t backed up by sound science and research. Americans spend billions of dollars annually on fraudulent health products, an injustice that Stephen Barrett, MD, a nationally known author and consumer advocate, has been trying to fight for decades. His website, quackwatch.org, helps consumers identify quackery and health fraud and make educated decisions about health-related information and products. Dr. Barrett’s list of common deceptive statements made by health quacks is in the boxed feature “Quackwatchers.”

Identifying quackery and fraud is important not only when you are seeking out an expert for advice, but also when you read about nutrition on the Internet. The Web is overflowing with nutrition information and misinformation.

Terms:

Registered dietitian (RD) – A health professional who has completed at least a bachelor’s degree in nutrition from an accredited university or college in the United States, completed a supervised practice, and passed an exam administered by the American Dietetic Association (ADA).

Medical nutrition therapy – The integration of nutrition counseling and dietary changes based on an individual’s medical and health needs to treat a patient’s medical condition.

Licensed dietitian (LD) – An individual who has met specified educational and experience criteria deemed necessary by a state licensing board to be considered an expert in the field of nutrition. An RD would meet all the qualifications to be an LD.

Public health nutritionist – An individual who may have an undergraduate degree in nutrition but isn’t an RD.

Nutritionist – A generic term with no recognized legal or professional meaning. Some people may call themselves nutritionists without having any credible training in nutrition.