What Is A Registered Dietitian?

To qualify as an RD, you need an honours degree in a nutrition related subject and then a further year's practical training in dietetics. Continual professional development is also required as nutrition is a forever developing science.
Hospitals, Medical Consultants and GPs can only employ nutritionists who are Registered; recognising them as the only people qualified to give valid nutritional advice. The training to become Registered includes detailed knowledge of how the body works, counselling skills, how drugs and nutrients work in the body and how to treat disease states, as well as supporting subjects such as food preparation and microbiology.
Registered Dietitians are members of the British Dietetic Association (BDA)- a royal charter holding governing body. The term 'dietitian' is now protected, so that only individuals with an RD can call themselves by this name.

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