Test Your Knowledge

Diet professionals provide information about diet and nutrition. However, all diet professionals are not created equal when it comes to education and experience. People seeking nutrition expertise need to be aware that professional-sounding titles may not always indicate that a provider is qualified to give sound, scientifically accurate nutritional guidance.

Diet professionals fall into three categories:

• Professionally regulated. The primary professional organization for educated diet professionals is the American Dietetic Association. It has strict regulations for two professional titles: registered dietitian (RD) and dietetic technician registered (DTR). Providers holding these titles have met minimum standards for education and supervised training, as well as taking a standardized test. There are also a number of other professional organizations that provide certification and accreditation for diet professionals. Those with professionally-regulated titles are bound by ethical obligations to provide scientifically accurate information that is not misleading or harmful to the public. They are also bound to disclose any conflicts of interest they may have. Professionally-regulated titles do not vary from state to state.
  
  
• State regulated. Most states have some kind of licensing, certification or registration requirement for diet professionals. Those with state-regulated titles are bound by legal obligations to follow state regulations for diet professionals. It is also illegal in most states to dispense nutritional advice using a regulated title without having received the proper license. However, laws vary greatly from state to state. Ideally, people seeking dietary guidance are advised to choose a provider who is both professionally accredited and also holds a state license (if an RD) or certification (if available).
  
  
• Unregulated. Unless a title is professionally regulated or state regulated, there are no limitations as to whom may use it. Therefore, unregulated diet information providers may have little or no training or education in the field. They may claim certification from various nutrition schools, correspondence courses and health organizations, but such organizations do not have recognized accreditation in the nutrition field. The nutritional information they provide must be carefully evaluated for accuracy. In states that have no laws regulating diet professionals, unregulated providers may dispense advice without having any knowledge or background in nutrition.

Registered and/or licensed professionals are often referred to as “dietetic practitioners” by the ADA. It is important to note that the medical field also provides credentials in the areas of diet and nutrition. Doctors, nurses and other individuals with advanced degrees in dietetics receive specialized training and certification in the nutrition field and are considered to be diet and nutrition experts.

Consumers are encouraged to be skeptical about nutritional and dietary information provided by those without proper credentials. This may include:

• Verify current expert nutrition credentials of diet professionals through nationally recognized professional nutrition organizations.
  
  
• Check with individual state regulatory agencies regarding requirements for diet professionals.
  
  
• Ask their referring physician about a diet professional’s training and credentials.
  
  
• Ask their medical insurance company about those diet professionals covered in the plan.
  
  
• Ask diet professionals themselves. Diet professionals who meet nationally recognized professional standards and state requirements are able to provide verification of their nutrition credentials.