Gail McQueenProfessional Home Economist |
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© Gail McQueen 2013. Contact Gail for reprint rights. BackWhy I Use The Title Nutritionist With ReservationWhen I first graduated from university, I called myself a nutritionist. The term seemed appropriate. It gave people an indication of my educational background and the profession I had pursued. More recently, I use it with a certain amount of reservation and here's why. In Canada, the term "Nutritionist" is only protected by law in the provinces of Alberta, Nova Scotia, Quebec and New Brunswick. In these cases the educational requirements are the same for dietitian and nutritionist. In the rest of the country and here in Ontario, the term nutritionist is not protected. Anyone can call themselves a nutritionist and there are no standards for the quality of care that they give. I should clarify that there are government licenced nutrition professionals in Ontario and they are Registered Dietitians. They have completed a minimum four year Bachelor of Science Degree in a nutrition and foods program like myself. They have also participated in a one year accredited clinical internship or have additional postgraduate education. Community or Public Health Nutrionists who carry the Registered Dietitian designation have a Masters Degree. Registered Dietitians are regulated by their provincial associations and must practice according to standards and laws that protect the public. In Ontario this association is the College of Dietitians of Ontario. In the past there weren't that many people actively promoting themselves as nutritionists so there really wasn't much of a problem. That situation has changed. In Ontario and other jurisdictions that have no regulations in place, more and more alternative educational institutions have popped up and they are churning out their version of "nutritionists "at a rapid rate. Often these programs take less than a year. To complicate matters many of these unregulated educational programs qualify their graduates to use terms like certified or registered or other similar words along with "nutritionist". The words certified or registered sound very professional and you would think that some government sanctioned body is somehow overseeing what is taught . Not a chance! In provinces like Ontario, where there are no regulations in place, the knowledge of nutritionists can vary tremendously and there is nothing to protect the public from any potentially unsafe nutrition advice. I guess you could say I've had enough. Far too often, I hear incorrect or misleading nutrition information in the media. It's not coming from Registered Dietitians. It's coming from ill advised and self proclaimed nutritionists. Unfortunately, the whole situation has tainted the title nutritionist. The public doesn't know who to believe. When I am asked if I am a nutritionist I now find I must qualify my answer with an explanation of my educational qualifications and experience. Some consider nutritionists to be a joke. See the video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SavsJYXWgm8 Here are what others have to say http://www.dietitians.ca/find-a-dietitian/difference-between-dietitian-and-nutritionist.aspx http://www.skepticnorth.com/2011/04/the-legitimacy-diet-part-1-all-nutritionists-are-certifiable/ |
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