About me
Hello and welcome to my blog. I have recently graduated with a Nutrition BSc from King's College London. Following on from this, I am now registered with the Association for Nutrition as an Associate Nutritionist. Five years ago I decided to turn my unhealthy lifestyle around by joining the gym and following a balanced and nutritious diet plan. From this initial change stemmed my newfound love for health, nutrition and fitness. Having studied nutrition for three years now, at a university renowned for producing world leading evidence-based research, I now feel confident to share this knowledge with you.
What is the Association for Nutrition (AfN)?This a voluntary register for nutritionists in the United Kingdom. Currently the term “nutritionist” is not a protected title and therefore anyone can essentially call himself or herself a nutritionist. This register enables public safety, ensuring those who release information are adequately trained, knowledgeable to provide evidence-based information and abide by a strict code of conduct. The AfN are working towards achieving protection of the title “nutritionist” and credibility of nutrition as a responsible profession.
Those who are accepted onto the AfN register would have had to demonstrate strict standards of competency within the field of nutrition. This is likely to be achieved through an AfN accredited university degree. You can check which degrees are accredited on the AfN website. As with anything, nutrition is a field that is continuously evolving. Everyday in the press articles are released that might contradict previous thoughts regarding a particular nutrient/food. Most of the time these statements are not backed by research and on the odd occasion a study has been quoted, most are of poor quality. It is therefore imperative that those responsible for dissemination of this information are educated and competent enough to translate this onto a platform that is understandable and accessible in the public domain. You should ensure an associate or registered nutritionist has produced the information you’re reading since these individuals have demonstrated their ability, prior registration, to do so. You can check if an individual is registered by entering their name/registration number on the AfN website. Find out more about the AfN on their website: http://www.associationfornutrition.org/ |
FOLLOW ME ON TWITTERFOLLOW ME ON INSTAGRAM |
How do Dietitians differ from Nutritionists?
Defined by the British Dietetic Association (BDA), “Dietitians are the only nutrition professionals to be regulated by law, and are governed by an ethical code to ensure that they always work to the highest standard”. Dietitians work with individuals who are ill in clinical settings, usually within the NHS, as part of a multidisciplinary team. As well as this dietitians might work in similar settings as registered nutritionists such as the food industry, government, public health, education, research, non-government funded organisations and the media.
Unlike Dietitians, nutritionists are not qualified or registered to give advice to those who are ill. Nutritionists focus on providing information regarding healthy eating to healthy individuals as a means by which to prevent disease. If you feel as though you have an illness that would require dietetic treatment/management then you should contact your GP to seek the appropriate advice and referral.
You can find out more information about dieticians and what they do on the British Dietetic Association website: https://www.bda.uk.com/
Unlike Dietitians, nutritionists are not qualified or registered to give advice to those who are ill. Nutritionists focus on providing information regarding healthy eating to healthy individuals as a means by which to prevent disease. If you feel as though you have an illness that would require dietetic treatment/management then you should contact your GP to seek the appropriate advice and referral.
You can find out more information about dieticians and what they do on the British Dietetic Association website: https://www.bda.uk.com/
What is a nutritional therapist?
Anyone can call himself or herself a nutritional therapist. Gaining this title does not require completion of a degree however some bodies may require foundation courses to be completed. These individuals are self regulated and therefore offer no protection to the public. In essence these individuals have no code of conduct to abide by. Usually these individuals act independently and see clients individually to offer treatments mainly in the form of nutritional supplements.
It is advised that caution should be taken when seeking advice from someone who claims to be a “nutritional therapist/expert”. If in doubt you should discuss your requirements with your GP to ensure the appropriate individual, with the correct qualifications, provides you with the information you are after.
It is advised that caution should be taken when seeking advice from someone who claims to be a “nutritional therapist/expert”. If in doubt you should discuss your requirements with your GP to ensure the appropriate individual, with the correct qualifications, provides you with the information you are after.