Dietitian

             Today, the dietician plays a very important role in our American society (Tilman.)  People often live an on-the-go lifestyle and opt to eat unhealthy fast food products.  It is often believed that because of the overconsumption of these foods that people become obese or suffer from other clinical conditions such as hypertension and high cholesterol (Tilman.)  It is the role of a dietician to help fix these problems through the correction of their patient’s diet, hence the name dietician.  It is projected that over 17% of all American children residing in the United States suffer from obesity and other weight-related conditions including not only those mentioned above, but also diabetes, cancer, and severe liver problems (Tilman.)  Dieticians hold the role to diagnose and educate their patients about nutrition-related illnesses and how to prevent or cure these illnesses (“Dieticians…”.)

            Dieticians may plan, prepare, and serve meals in clinics, hospitals, nursing homes, or other health care facilities (“Dieticians…”.)  Dieticians may also teach how to eat in order to avoid or prevent illness (“Dieticians…”.)  Lastly, dieticians may advise nutrition principles and food service policies, assess nutritional needs, and provide nutrition counseling (“Dieticians…”.)  The workplaces of a dietician vary accordingly to their work.  Workplaces may include large health care facilities, health car offices, and private clinics.  All places are clean, well lit, and well ventilated; no strenuous work is involved (“Dieticians…”.)

            In order to become a dietician, there are multiple educational and organization requirements one must complete.  The career of a dietician starts with earning a Bachelor’s degree from an American Diabetic Association (ADA) approved academic program (“Dieticians…”.)  It is recommended that while attending an academic program, one should hold a job in the food services or health care industry (Tilman.)  After receiving a Bachelor’s Degree, one must complete a 6-12 month supervised practice program (Tilman.)  At the end of this accredited program, one must pass an ADA examination in order to become an ADA certified dietician (“Dieticians…”.)  In all, there are between 4 ½ and 5 years of education.  According to University of Virginia’s Virginia View, job openings for dieticians are projected to increase by 8.6% in the next 7 years.  As of April 24th, 2009, 757JobsNow.com has 1 listed job opening for a dietician.  In addition, Monster.com has 1 listed job opening for the career.  The national average yearly salary of a dietician is $47,800 (“Dieticians…”.)