What is a Dietician?

A dietician is a highly trained and regulated health care professional. They use the most up-to-date public health and scientific research on food, health and disease which they translate into practical guidance to enable people to make appropriate lifestyle and food choices.

The professional title ‘Dietician’ is protected by law. Only those practitioners registered with the Health & Care Professions Council (HCPC) can use the title. To be registered as a dietician, practitioners need to have a minimum of a BSc Hons (degree) in Dietetics, or a related science degree with a postgraduate diploma or higher degree in Dietetics.

Dieticians undergo detailed training in biochemistry, physiology and applied sciences. Additionally, Dieticians have training in social and behavioural sciences to fully understand the complexities of diet and nutritional needs.

Why choose a Dietician? 

There are lots of reasons to choose a Dietician. Some common examples include:

• You have been diagnosed with a medical condition, such as diabetes, high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, coeliac, HIV etc
• Your child, or looked after child, has specialised nutritional requirements
• You want or need to lose weight in a safe and sensible way
• You need to put weight on following a spell of ill-health or as the result of a medical condition
• You are considering surgery to lose weight
• You want to improve your athletic performance or general fitness levels
• You think you have an allergy or intolerance to a certain food
• You would like advice about eating disorders
• Help with digestive problems