8 reasons you need to consult a qualified professional dietician

A dietician can help you better your health by eating right.

By: Dr Neha Sanwalka | | Published: February 27, 2014 12:31 pm

A dietician is your food doctor. They provide information regarding food and nutrition and enable people to live a healthy life. Nutrition is a science and qualified nutritionists provide evidence based nutritional advice i.e. advice based on results of scientific research. Also Read - Health influencer 'Liver King' admitted he secretly used steroids

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We all have different eating habits, medical history and fitness levels so one diet cannot be suited for all. A qualified dietician can plan customised diets for each individual based on their health, medical, physical and psychological status. Also Read - Why is it important to have a family doctor?

With the advent of internet, there is abundant information about food and nutrition. Each individual is loaded with unclear and contradictory information about which food is good or bad for health. This excess information leads to confusion and an individual is left unsure as to what and how much to eat. Also, internet and newspapers are often flooded with a new fad diet which if followed without consulting a dietician may lead to nutritional deficiencies.

A dietician is an expert on food who can interpret the available information, evaluate its authenticity and deduce if there is any scientific reliability on the same. A qualified dietician can help an individual in many ways. Here’s how people can benefit from a dietician’s help.

Influences the food choices and eating habits of an entire family starting from pregnancy followed by childhood into adulthood and old age.
Clears misconceptions one has about food and gives clear direction about what to eat, how to eat and how much to eat.
Lifestyle related disorders such as diabetes, obesity, osteoporosis, etc. are on the rise. A dietician plans a healthy, balanced diet for normal, healthy individuals and help prevent these disorders.
Plans diets for patients suffering from illness such as diabetes, cardiac disease, thyroid, tuberculosis, gastro-intestinal problem, osteoporosis, Crohn’s disease, celiac disease, etc. and facilitate their quick recovery and road to good health.
A balanced diet plan can also enhance the process of recovery from a surgery.
Helps individuals gain or lose weight in a healthy way without any side-effects or nutritional deficiencies.
Helps athletes, children and those interested in fitness to eat better and healthier to achieve their goals and improve their performance.
Increasing number of individuals are diagnosed with several nutrient deficiencies such as Vitamin D, Vitamin B12, iron, calcium, etc. A qualified dietician helps prevent or combat these deficiencies by planning a balanced meal rich in these nutrients.

To sum it up, one needs to consult a qualified, professional dietician not just to lose weight but to gain health.

Who is a qualified dietician?

Unlike the popular belief that one can become a dietician by doing a 3 or 6 months’ crash course, to be a qualified dietician one needs to do a bachelor’s or a post-graduate degree course from an University Grant’s Commission (UGC) recognised university/ institute.

As specified by Indian Dietetics Association, a qualified dietician is one who has a Bachelor’s degree (3 years) or a Post Graduate Diploma (1.5 years) or a Master’s degree (2 years) in Food Science, Nutrition and Dietetics with at least 6 months of experience of internship in a multidisciplinary hospital. An added mark of quality is the clearance of national Registered Dietician (RD) exam conducted by Indian Dietetics Association annually. One can even pursue Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in nutrition and food science.

Dr Neha Sanwalka has a PhD in Health Sciences and has completed her BSc, MSc Dietetics. She is the recipient of INSPIRE Fellowship from the Department of Science & Technology, Government of India and a certified diabetes counsellor. She is also the director of a start-up, NutriCanvas which provides diet and statistical consultations and conducts various nutrition workshops. She specialises in neonatal, paediatric nutrition and endocrine nutrition, bone health & SPSS (statistical software). She is also a member of the editorial and advisory board of Current Research in Nutrition and Food Science Journal. She teaches various subjects at colleges to Masters and PhD students.

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Published : February 27, 2014 12:31 pm

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