New bills have been introduced in a number of states that threaten the rights of nutritionists to practice. In fact, they could allow the American Dietetic Association (ADA) to control the practice of nutritional therapy!
These bills paint dietitians and nutritionists into a licensing scheme with the same brush, making completion of a dietitian program a prerequisite for practicing nutritional therapy.According to these bills, a Masters or a PhD in nutrition means nothing - a nutritionist would still be required to register through the ADA in order to keep practicing.
While there is some overlap in the work characterizing nutritionists and dietitians, there are some important differences. In general, nutritionists use their thorough knowledge of the impact of nutrition on the whole body and primarily counsel individuals. The nutritionist is an integrative practitioner who focuses on maintaining health and prevention and treatment of chronic disease. Dietitians largely employ outdated approaches, with training focusing on institutional diets and food service management—developing diets for hospital patients, school food service programs, and nursing homes.
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http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/750/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=9314