Due to some recent national TV appearances by people who call themselves nutritionists, which have included inaccurate, and down-right wrong information, a colleague went to work to collect videos from registered dietitians around the country who have done TV interviews. Since this was my last topic, I though I’d go ahead and share those interviews on my blog! But as I watched them, I also realized how educational they will be for those of you who watch them! As a consequence, I then did a little more research on my own, in order to add to the list.

So, do spend time watching the particular topics that interest you, to not only learn something new (which we all try to do, right?), but to also take away tips to help improve your life, and also get a better sense of the role dietitians play in helping people learn how to apply the science of nutrition to your own life.

Now, I again want to point out that although there is no standard for someone calling themselves a nutritionist, before either accepting what they say OR ruling them out, do a little checking of your own. Did they graduate from an accredited university with a degree in nutrition, or did they just find a certification program? We are talking about your health, here, so don’t fall prey to someone who says you have to avoid this or that, because of their own mis-information and lack of education.

Curious about gluten-free? Check out http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/story?section=news/food_coach&id=6358243.

What about information on pregnancy? Check out http://www.abc15.com/content/living/yourhealth/story/Pregnant-5-health-nutrition-myths-busted/Wz8Sqx1qCUued8bTH6h3hw.cspx.

With the holidays just around the corner, check this one out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CybyhlV1OR4.

Have young children or picky kids? Watch this; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xjcu4nOXR5M.

Curious about fish oil supplements? Then you need to watch this one; http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/story?section=news/food_coach&id=6698760.

Curious about nutrition needs for teens? Watch this; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6sGoUk5E7c8.

Starting to wonder about Halloween candy? Here is a segment from last year to help; http://abcnews.go.com/video/playerIndex?id=6118955

Good segment on eating to prevent cancer http://abcnews.go.com/video/playerIndex?id=5620219.

Happy watching!

Margie

Do you know the difference between a registered dietitian and a nutritionist? Chances are, unless you ARE one of either, you do not. But as a professional, you really should, especially if you decide you want the HELP from one!

I like to describe it this way: First, anyone can call themselves a ‘nutritionist’. It really has no meaning. Granted, people who call themselves nutritionists often claim that they focus on the physiology of nutrition where a registered dietitian just focuses on food or providing patients meals in a hospital.

Well, that makes me laugh, because before you can even QUALIFY to become an RD, one of the requirements is at least a bachelor’s degree.  So, would it even be possible that if someone were to get a bachelor’s degree in nutrition that the physiology of nutrition would NOT be covered? Quite often, in fact, a person who calls themselves a nutritionist may not have ANY education beyond a certification.  A certification can come from any type of program, from an online course to something more intense. But a certification cannot be accepted at face value without researching what is required.  However, saying you have a certification as a nutritionist would be like a physical therapist or a nurse or even a doctor practicing with just a certification, but people don’t really think in those terms, because we all eat!

So, I like to say that a registered dietitian is a nutritionist with the education and experience to help people learn how to apply information to their own lives. The difference, then, is further education.

This does not go to say that if a person did get their degree in nutrition and chose to NOT go the extra mile to become an RD isn’t as qualified! The difference between the two is the RD has much more experience, due to the 1,200 hours of practical internship, than the person who didn’t take it to the next level. And, if a person chose to teach, they would be just as qualified with their PhD in nutrition as the RD. This may also be the case if the person chooses to be involved in research.

So, when you read information about nutrition, ask yourself what qualifies that person to write. If you watch someone who calls themselves a ‘nutritionist’ on TV, ask yourself what really is the background of this person. Don’t take it at face value when someone tells you not to eat fruit for dessert or avoid all soy products. Do your research and find out just what the knowledge and education level is of that person who says such things. Just as you would do your research if you were looking for a surgeon, you should also do your research when listening to people telling you what to put into your body.

Jeff Bland says that we are a generation of human gineau pigs; we believe everything we say without questioning it. I feel that’s the case when someone tells me, “OH, I heard the lady on TV say we shouldn’t drink milk because it will kill us!”

Sigh. And the next experiment is on!

Margie

There has been a lot of discussion among nutrition professionals, lately about the wealth of inaccurate nutrition information being spread by the media. The problem is the media doesn’t know any better than the public!

Why would the media do such a thing? Do they do this when looking for someone to discuss medical issues? Nope; they contact an MD. Do they do this when discussing teeth? Nope; they contact a DDS or other dental professional.

But when it comes to nutrition, it seems that if someone reads a lot of books or takes some certification program (as many people do to list their qualifications to call themselves a ‘nutritionist’), or just decides to call themselves a ‘nutritionist’, or even today a ‘nutrition coach’, then they are suddenly the person asked to speak to an audience that could be in the millions!

YIKES!

I have shared links of dietitians who have shown up on national shows on Twitter, but not everyone is on Twitter, so I’ll share a couple of them, here:

http://abcnews.go.com/video/playerIndex?id=8295838

http://abcnews.go.com/video/playerIndex?id=8278705

As a result of the discussions I mentioned above, another colleague finally had enough and felt compelled to write a blog on the issue, which is here: http://tinyurl.com/p27obu.

What is the point to all of this? My point is that as a business professional, you may not know what is really accurate nutrition information and what isn’t. When a ‘nutritionist’ comes onto a national show and gives advice, some of the advice may be just a bit off. Will it harm you? Probably not. But it also may cause you to change your eating habits that COULD actually put your health at risk!

If someone tells you to eat avocado every day for lunch, instead of a balanced meal, I again cringe. I LOVE avocados, but unless you’re working to GAIN weight, I would NOT suggest you eat a whole one every day. Yes, it’s a healthy fat, but it IS all fat! A fat serving is 1/8th of an avocado, which is 45 calories. This means you will eat an extra 360 calories a day if you ate a whole one each day. At that rate, you could gain a pound of weight in 9 days!

And I’ll use another one of of these issues as an example: Fruit. Does it matter WHEN you eat fruit? NO! What’s most important is you EAT it! Now, maybe YOU can’t eat fruit at certain times, like after a meal, but rather than promoting that eating fruit after a meal will slow down digestion (which is mis-information), you need to determine if eating fruit for YOU causes you problems after a meal.

Now, before I get tons of complaints about disparaging the term ‘nutritionist’, let me end by saying that there IS such a thing as a ‘qualified’ nutritionist. Do your homework. Someone who has taken a certification program is NOT anyone I would want providing nutrition information to any family member or friend of mine. But, not everyone decides to take the next steps and become a registered dietitian after getting a degree in nutrition from a QUALIFIED educational program, which is fine. More important is, what do I mean by qualified? A correspondence school is NOT a qualified educational program. A bachelor’s degree or above in nutrition would be a qualified program.

How do you know if a person is someone you should listen to? Look at where they went to school and what their experience is. If they said they attended a particular school, check out the school! It should be an accredited school in the educational system, not some little hole-in-the-wall that provided a diploma.

I’ve love to hear your comments!

Margie

I returned to school for my undergraduate degree when my daughter started kindergarten. Originally it was for a degree in an exercise field, since that’s what I was involved in, as a group fitness instructor and manager of a small, local health club. However, I ended up graduating with a degree in nutrition, instead.

When I decided to get a nutrition degree, it also made sense to go the full route and also become a Registered Dietitian (RD), because I realized that doing any less would provide fewer opportunities to make a difference for the people I wanted to help. Granted, this also meant committing to more time and effort, but it was worth it.

In order to become an RD, a person must first get a degree in nutrition from an approved college. Then the person must complete a 1,200 hour internship. Only after successfully completing both may the person qualify to take the national registration exam. It is then the person’s responsibility to complete continuing professional educational requirements in order to maintain registration.

Why am I talking about this? Well, today is National RD Day, and in celebration, many of us who are RDs are taking part in a ‘blogfest’ in order to educate readers on what RDs are and what they do. Be sure to scroll to the bottom of this post and click some of the links of other RDs through the US.

Anyone can call themselves a ‘nutritionist’. I’ll always remember the lady I had lunch with at a functional nutrition conference one day. She said she was a nutritionist who earned her living giving out nutrition information. I asked her what qualified her for this role, and she said it was because she had been ‘reading books on nutrition for years.’ Oh great! I’d love to see an MD who has become an MD because he read a lot of books… People often feel that just because we ALL eat, anyone can be an expert on nutrition..

So what’s the big fuss all about? Why shouldn’t someone see a ‘nutritionist’, or pay their personal trainer for nutrition services, or hire a ‘nutrition’ or ‘diet’ coach who doesn’t have any education in nutrition?

There’s one simple reason, really, and that is because people without the education in nutrition can’t personalize the support and education to the clients they see. Often these people are fine for general nutrition information, but what if you are reactive to soy, but the person you are seeing has just read some great articles on soy in the last week and now believes that everyone should eat it? What if you have diabetes? In most states, unqualified people cannot give out what is known as MNT, or Medical Nutrition Therapy, but unless there is a complaint about them, if they’re not caught, nothing is done. But someone not qualified to practice nutrition in this way is just as dangerous as an MD practicing medicine who really isn’t an MD.

But what does an RD do? Many people are totally confused around this whole issue. If you have ever been in a hospital, that may be your only exposure to an RD, when they come in and give you an instruction on following a particular diet. However, dietitians work in any number of locations! Why choose an RD over a ‘nutritionist’? What if you were just diagnosed with cancer or diabetes? Who would you go to? What if you had just suffered a heart attack and would like to improve your eating habits so you don’t have another one? Who would you see? Where would you go if you just had gastric bypass? All of these are just a few examples of what you would want to see an RD for. Without a specialized education in such areas, a person can’t really address your issues and help you resolve them. In fact, these are perfect examples of how people FAIL at their attempts to take control of their lives.

When I started my first business, MEG Fitness, I provided in-home personal training and sports nutrition counseling. What made me unique was that I WAS an expert on both. As a result, I could personalize my services to meet my clients’ needs, rather than put everyone on the diet that I was following, assuming it was the best for all.

But today I no longer take fitness or nutrition clients. This is the beauty of being a dietitian! For those reading this who are considering going into dietetics, never feel you have to be ‘traditional’. In fact, my mission today is to help educate dietitians on all aspects of business, so they can more effectively compete in the market. As I am about to complete my MBA degree, my mission today is to help other health and fitness professionals make their mark on the world and enjoy entrepreneurial success. I help the public understand the value of using an RD when they need help with a nutrition-related issue, and I help trainers understand how using an RD can help enhance their businesses.

In conclusion, no matter who you are, check out the links below, and learn how you can use the services, and expertise, of an RD!

Margie

Beyond Prenatals – Food vs. Supplements and Real Advice vs. Fake Advice

Annette Colby - No More Diets! A Registered Dietitian Shares 9 Secrets to Real and Lasting Weight Loss

Ashley Colpaart – Dietitians working in food policy, a new frontier

Diana Dyer – There and Back Again: Celebration of National Dietitian Day 2009

Cheryl Harris – Me, a Gluten Free RD!

Marilyn Jess – National Registered Dietitian Day–RD Blogfest

Julie Lanford – Antioxidants for Cancer Prevention

Renata Mangrum – What I’m doing as I grow up…

Liz Marr – Fruits and Veggies for Registered Dietian Day: Two Poems

Meal Makeover Moms’ Kitchen – Family Nutrition … It’s our “Beat”

Jill Nussinow – The Registered Dietitian Lens I Look Through

Wendy Jo Petersen – March 11 is our day to shine!

Diane Preves – Registered Dietitians and the White House Forum on Health Reform

Andy Sarjahani – Dr. Seuss Tribute continued: Green Eggs and Ham and a Sustainable Food System

Rebecca Scritchfield – Big Tips from a “Big Loser”

Anthony Sepe – RD Showcase: Registered Dietitian Day, March 11, 2009

Kathy Shattler – RD Showcase for Nutri-Care Consultation

UNL-Extension, Douglas/Sarpy County – Nutrition Know How – Making Your Life Easier

Monika Woolsey – Dietitians–Can’t Do PCOS Without Them!

Monika Woolsey – In Honor of National Registered Dietitian Day

Jen Zingaro – My life as a Registered Dietitian

Sharon Salomon – http://diaryofadietingdietitian.blogspot.com/2009/03/celebrating-national-registered_10.html