What
is a Nutritional Therapist?
Food
is so much more than just the fuel to make our body’s engine work
for another day – although of course it does that as well. Locked
up in our diet are all the vital ingredients that make us what we are
– and in the case of children, what they are going to be. Calcium
for strong teeth, vitamin A for good eye health, vitamin C for a
healthy immune system and vitamin D for strong, healthy bones are a
few well-known examples.
That’s
why the choices we make over what to shop for and what to cook, which
end up defining our children’s diet, are so important – choices
which can have a long-term positive or negative effect on their
health and fitness for life. And that’s where nutritional therapy
can help.
What
is the difference between a Nutritional Therapist, a Nutritionist and
a Dietitian?
The different titles ‘Nutritional Therapist’, ‘Nutritionist’
and ‘Dietitian’ can be very confusing. However, when it comes to
helping their clients they each have their own very distinct role to
play in the field of food and diet. In line with the definitions
set out by their associated professional bodies - BANT (British
Association for Applied
Nutrition and Nutritional
Therapy), The Nutrition Society, ION (The Institute of Optimum
Nutrition) and the BDA (British Dietetic Association) - we have
detailed below the practitioner types to help you choose the
professional best suited to your circumstances.
Nutritional
Therapists
consider
individual
treatment
for diet and lifestyle in order to alleviate or prevent ailments and
to promote good health through all life stages. They will
work with the patient as an individual, to overcome problems such as
allergies, hormone imbalance and skin disorders. They are trained to
work in clinical practice, are members of organisations such as BANT
and voluntarily regulated by The Nutritional Therapy Council.
Nutritionists
are practitioners who can advise on food and healthy eating
but not about restorative diets. Many nutritionists work in research
or the food industry and some are also registered 'dietitians'.
A
'Dietitian'
is someone who is trained to university degree level and works in a
hospital or clinical environment (usually the NHS). Dietitians are
protected by the Health Professions Council and have their own
association, the British Dietetic Association. They often specialise
in certain fields such as diabetics, paediatrics or renal dietetics.
What
is Nutritional Therapy?
Nutritional
therapists work with individual patients, recognising that each
person has a unique body and set of dietary requirements, in order to
optimise their health. Getting the diet properly tuned to the
individual can help with many conditions, including weight problems,
tiredness and general ill-health.
So
what is a Nutritional Therapist and how can they help?
A
nutritional therapist will check whether an individual’s diet is
right for his or her unique body, giving all the nutrients needed for a
healthy life and body function. If there are long-term illnesses or
problems related to diet they can be tackled and, in most cases,
alleviated.
But
for children, it’s not just about creating a healthy diet – it
has to be attractive to the kids too. In an age of high-budget
advertising and convenience foods, parents can find it a losing
battle between what they know is healthy, and what is easy and asked
for by the children. Here a nutritional therapist can help by
suggesting meal plans which achieve all the objectives – health,
parent-friendly preparation and child appeal.
A
treatment plan is created after taking a full patient history and
possibly some clinical tests. As well as the diet, nutritional
therapists may recommend actions and products to help digestion,
avoiding allergens and toxins and possibly courses of detoxification. Then,
with a properly balanced diet containing the right vitamins and
minerals, the child’s energy levels will increase, issues such as
weight gain can be overcome and body systems strengthened for healthy
growth and to combat disease.
OK,
what’s Nutrition Science?
This
is the science behind many of the things mentioned here – the study
of the nutrients in food, how they are used by the body and the
relationship between diet and health. People who study this science
are called nutritionists, and they can be employed by food companies,
retailers, research facilities and so on.
So
what is a Nutritionist and how can they help?
Generally
nutritionists will be working away from the general public, in jobs
which apply the science to other areas such as food production or
animal husbandry. However, nutritionists can also be trained as
nutritional therapists or dietitians, in which case they will be
applying their scientific background to develop a beneficial and
healing regime to help specific patients. This is the case if you see
nutritionists on the WeightAwareUK Register.
So
if that’s Nutrition, what is Dietetics?
Dietetics
in essence translates the findings of nutritional science, so that
people can be informed about the food and lifestyle choices they may
make. Dietitians will be qualified to degree level or further, and
will then have trained in a hospital or similar environment. Many
dietitians work for the NHS.
And
finally, what is a Dietitian and how can they help?
More
information on the role of Dietitians can be found on the ‘What is
a Dietitian and how can they help’ section of our website. However,
in essence a
dietitian
uses the science of nutrition to devise eating plans for patients to
treat medical conditions. They also work to promote good health by
helping to facilitate a positive change in food choices amongst
individuals, groups and communities.
It
is advisable for anyone considering visiting a practitioner
within the field of nutrition or any other therapist to check that
the practitioner has undergone thorough training and is
accredited with the relevant governing body. If
you have any medical condition it is advisable to consult your GP
before making an appointment to see a nutritional therapist and
advice given here should not be taken without prior consultation with
your GP.
Please
note that it is important, when you are looking to employ the
services of a practitioner, to research their professional training
and education. This will ensure that you are receiving a safe and
ethical service and that the intervention or counselling is
effective.
All
practitioners on the WeightAwareUK Register have trained to
proficient levels within their respective areas, are members of their
own professional bodies and work to a specific and very strict code
of conduct.