What Does a Dietitian Do? Why Do I Need to See One?
Dietitians have advanced training in nutrition. They use this training to help clients improve their health and wellness through food. Working with a registered dietitian can help people recover from an eating disorder in several different ways. The first is by providing factual information. This is important because almost two-thirds of eating disorder treatment manuals contain information not supported by evidence. A registered dietitian can help you sift through what is true about food and what isn’t. It’s also not uncommon for someone with an eating disorder to be malnourished. Working with a registered dietitian can help correct nutritional deficiencies created from consuming too little food (such as with anorexia nervosa) or from purging food consumed before the nutrients are absorbed (like with bulimia). A registered dietitian also helps people with eating disorders by assisting with:
Menu creation: A registered dietitian can create a personalized meal plan to help you achieve a healthier weight or to begin to include challenging foods in your diet. Whether seeing a dietitian in an inpatient or outpatient setting, eating disorder treatment sometimes involves sitting down for meals and eating alongside them to work directly with the issues you face. Nutritional counseling: A registered dietitian can educate you about the nutrients your body needs and why, also advising how much someone of your size, age, and sex needs to consume to be healthy. They can also teach you how to recognize physical cues of hunger and satiety. Weight monitoring: The registered dietitian may be the treatment team member tasked with monitoring your weight. This type of tracking can help verify that the treatment you’re receiving is working, while a lack of progress may be a sign that your eating disorder treatment may need to be modified for a better response.
Registered Dietitians, Licensed Dietitians, and Nutritionists
With all the different titles for a dietitian, it can be confusing to know the difference. Here are a few of the most common, along with what they mean:
Registered Dietitian (RD) or Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN): An RD or RDN is someone who has been credentialed through the Commission on Dietetic Registration. To earn this title, the professional needs at least a bachelor’s degree and must have completed an internship. In 2024, the educational requirement for RD and RDN designations will increase to a master’s degree.Licensed Dietitian (LD): A licensed dietitian is someone who is licensed to practice in their state. The requirements for licensure vary from one state to the next but can include having an advanced degree, getting a certain amount of experience (under supervision), and passing a licensing exam.Nutritionist or Nutrition Specialist: Credentials and requirements can vary quite a bit under the nutritionist title, with some people in this role having formal education and experience while others may lack in one or both of these areas.Certified Nutrition Specialist (CNS): Someone with a CNS title has a master’s degree or higher, has supervised experience in this role, and has passed an exam administered by the Board for Certification of Nutrition Specialists. Many states accept this designation for licensing purposes.
Registered dietitians have advanced education and training, whereas nutritionist is a general term with many variations in training by those who use the title. To put it simply, every dietitian is a nutritionist but not every nutritionist is a dietitian. Here are a few of the differences between dietitians versus nutritionists.
How Do I Find a Licensed or Registered Dietitian?
There are many ways to find a licensed or registered dietitian. Because it is important to find someone who specializes in eating disorders and will work with your treatment team, a referral from your therapist or another member of your team is one of the best ways to find a dietitian with this experience. If your insurance plan covers visits with a dietitian, checking with your provider can help you find a registered dietitian who is in-network. The International Association of Eating Disorder Professionals (IAEDP) also provides a member search that you can use to find a dietitian in your area who specializes in eating disorders. Other factors to consider when choosing a registered dietitian include whether they are experienced with your specific eating disorder and your level of comfortability when discussing your unique condition and concerns. Being able to talk with your dietitian openly is important to eating disorder recovery.
