What Is the Role of the Dietician?

A dietician plans nutrition programs and food programs for people. Dieticians can help prevent diseases and obesity problems because they teach people about the role of food in their diet. They usually run food programs in institutions, such as hospitals and schools. A dietician promotes healthy diets through education and education programs.

Types

A clinical dietician promotes nutrition in hospitals and nursing homes. Her main role is to assess the patients nutritional needs and develop a food plan for the patient. She also will work with doctors and nurses to develop the correct food plan for the patient based on the medical needs.

Another type of dietician is a community dietician. A community dietician works with groups and individuals to promote healthy eating habits. He often will work in public health clinics and home health agencies. There are also management dieticians who work with large meal planning programs, such as schools and prisons.

History

The dietician was first used in hospital settings to create menus for patients based on the food that was available. The hospital started to regulate that the patient was getting enough nourishment and proper nutrition. Over time the role of the dietician evolved to provided food education, proper food storage and nutrition appraisals. As science of food and nutrition expanded, so did the role of dieticians. More information was available and dieticians were soon working with medical professionals for teaching the importance of nutrition.

Function

The function of the dietician is to be able to create a menu based on what the doctor prescribes. The dietician must be able to prepare and calculate a menu based on the nutrients a person needs. It can be difficult to prepare a menu for a patient when the patient has various dislikes and likes for food. A dietician has to be able to take all those items into consideration when creating a menu that still meets the nutritional needs of the patient.

Benefits

The benefits of a dietician for a patient are very advantageous. A dietician has specialized training and education for food and nutrition that a normal person does not have. The dietician can help create menus that can ensure a person is meeting proper nutritional requirements and needs. The dietician can help a person with health problems, such as health disease or diabetes, by assessing individual needs and creating a food plan that helps alleviate health problems.

Significance

The significance of the dietician is the future role in the obesity epidemic. Education programs are very important for children. According to the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, approximately 16 percenr to 33 percent of children and adolescents are obese. Obesity is a very easy disease to prevent and to treat, but the education needs to be implemented. The role of the dietician is very important for the obesity problem for children and adolescents because of the education provided.

References

• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Dietitians and Nutritionists
• American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry; Obseity in child and teens