There is A LOT of nutrition information and advice floating around out there, which is great, except how do you know the information and advice your getting is correct? credible? accurate? and right for you? A huge issue within the health and nutrition world is the confusion that surrounds the terms Dietitian, Nutritionist and Naturopath - each of these professions are actually very different with there own field of expertise. Who's Who? Both Nutritionists and Dieticians are university qualified. Some Naturopaths have bachelors degrees while many have diplomas or other certificates. Both Nutritionists and Dietitians have at least a bachelor qualifications in Human Nutrition and/or food science, but a Dietitian also has clinical or medical nutrition expertise. To practice as a Dietitian in Australia, registration with the Dietitians Association of Australia is required, while no similar regulation is in place for practicing or terming yourself a 'Nutritionist' (which is an issue, as you have no guarantee of the services you will receive), although the Nutrition Society of Australia has a voluntary scheme which assigns the term Accredited Nutritionist to practitioners who meet the requirements for registration. There are several registering bodies for Naturopaths in Australia, each with differing qualifications and experience requirements for registration. One such body is A.N.P.A What do they do? A simple distinction I like to make is that an Accredited Practicing Dietitian treats disease, an Accredited Nutritionist prevents disease and a Naturopath provides 'alternative' therapies (which may or may not include diet related strategies). The lines between these practices in reality are far less clear. A Dietitian may work in private practice, hospitals or other clinical settings. They can also specialise in areas such as Sports Dietetics. A Dietitian can also work as a Nutritionist. An Accredited Nutritionist can work in a variety of setting including private practice, as well as in community settings or a population levels, implementing public health and health promotion initiatives and campaigns. A Public Health Nutritionist is a further specialised field. Nutritionists and Dieticians can also work within the food industry in roles such as a food scientists or consultant. A Naturopath generally works in private practices settings and is a 'holistic' alternative therapist, who may or may not have Nutrition training in conjunction with their Naturopath qualification. They may practice herbal medicine, nutritional medicine, homeopathy, dietary and lifestyle advice, massage therapy or other therapies. Who am I? I am a Nutritionist, eligible for registration with the Nutrition Society of Australia. I have a Masters in Human Nutrition and a working towards a Graduate Certificate in Public Health Nutrition so as I can specialise as a Public Health Nutritionist, which means my expertise is in the health and nutrition of populations (such as children) and communities. I really enjoy this aspect of nutrition and the huge impact on health that can be achieve.
I am also a personal trainer and have a Bachelors degree in Adult Education and Community Development. Each of these professions plays a very different role in your health, not one better than the other, just different. I think it is important to understand who you are getting information and advice from and be aware of the individual education, experience and philosophy of the practitioner and be sure they are the right professional for you.
12 Comments
Glee
13/7/2013 02:21:03 pm
Naturopaths have more schooling and are doctors. They can preform acupuncture, laser therapy and prescribe natural medicine.
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Nutritionista
4/9/2013 12:10:38 am
Glee, that it not a correct overview. In Australia, Naturopaths can complete a certificate - which is not 'highly qualified' nor anywhere near a Doctorate status. And require further education in other fields to use acupuncture, etc. It would be ILLEGAL for them to practice that after receiving only a certificate.
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8/10/2013 12:41:00 am
Naturopathy is a holistic method of healing which recognises the ability of the body to overcome disease. Treatments aim to support and aid the body to heal itselfwith the use of herbal medicine, homeopathy with nutritional and lifestyle advice.
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Nikki @ The Kids Menu
8/10/2013 02:02:10 am
Naturopath, that is a really beautiful definition and I think it really helps to highlight the difference between the professions.
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Simon
3/12/2014 03:02:57 pm
I am contemplating doing an Advanced Diploma of Nutritional Medicine. Would I be eligible to qualify as a nutritionist with this qualification or would it be pointless? Should I just do the Bachelor of Nutritional Science instead?
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Nikki @ The Kids Menu
3/12/2014 11:01:03 pm
Hi Simon, thanks so much for taking the time to read my post. As I said in the post, unfortunately there is no real regulations around the term Nutritionist (so you could just go ahead and call yourself one now - but please don't!), which does make it difficult when trying to figure out the best way to get to where you want to go. I am definitely not qualified to give you any personal advice but I will say it really depends on what you want to do - do you want to work clinically? Do you want to work in health promotion? Do you want to compliment another qualification like naturopathy or even personal training? Answering this question is really going to help you choose the right course. It is best to talk to the institute you are looking at studying through and hit them with the hard questions - different courses have different outcomes. I would also say to take a bit of caution around the Advanced Diploma just as I am aware that the requirements for alternative therapies to register and access health insurance rebates is changing. Best of luck, I know these decisions are hard. Please let me know how you go =)
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Future Naturopath
17/3/2015 10:19:28 pm
In the U.S. Naturopaths are physicians and take the same courses as Medical doctors. They also have to do clinicals involving nutrition, botanicals, psychology, homeopathy, etc. The goal is prevention but also holistic healing and understanding the root cause of disease. Just like MDs they also have to take professional board exams in order to become a licensed ND. It's very extensive training.
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24/6/2015 07:04:11 pm
I am considering doing a semi-pro Diploma regarding Dietary Remedies. Would certainly When i qualify in order to qualify as a nutritionist on this training course as well as wouldn't it possibly be useless? Can i simply perform the Bachelor regarding Dietary Technology instead?
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Sharon
2/7/2015 01:50:04 am
Hi, I'm trying to decide between the 3 courses and i can't make my mind up, in terms of scientifical knowlege about food what 's the main difference? I'm a health coach and I'd like to have a stronger understanding of the real efect of food on our body. I'd like to do a course in personal training aswell. My final aim would be to open a Wellness center. If anybody has a hint it would be helpful, i feel lost.
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Ayesha
13/2/2017 01:51:37 am
Whats the difference between a naturopath and a homeopath?
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Nikki@The Kids Menu
13/2/2017 07:05:53 am
Hi Ayesha,
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25/5/2021 07:04:00 pm
<a href="eatwisehealth.in">Naturopath and Dietitian</a>
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