Nutritionists and Dietitians |
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Dietetic technicians may specialize in a particular area such as nutritional care or food service management. Nutritional care technicians determine the nutritional needs of their patients by interviewing them and reviewing their medical histories. They help patients plan meals that fit into their prescribed diet and food budget. Besides they report the patient's progress or any dietary problems to the supervising dietitian. Child dietitians should have degrees in nutrition and food science, usually with a pediatric or child development concentration. The main goal of pediatric dietitians is to promote the proper nutrition of healthy children. They also guide and monitor the eating patterns of children with special needs, obese children, young diabetes patients, premature infants and other children with particular nutritional needs. In addition, pediatric dietitians plan menus, counsel families, analyze nutritional health and monitor the progress of children on special diets. There are some educational and experience requirements that may need to be met before an individual can assume the duties of a Pediatric Dietician. If you make up your mind to become a pediatric dietitian, then you should obtain a bachelor's degree in nutrition or dietetics from an accredited college or university. You should also keep in mind that a coursework in a bachelor's degree program in dietetics or nutrition must be approved by the Commission for Accreditation for Dietetics Education (CADE), which is part of the American Dietetic Association (ADA). During their studies students may take a wide range of courses that may include nutrition, nutrition therapy, metabolism, biology, physiology, biochemistry. Clinical nutritionists examine how food works in the body, how the environment affects the quality and safety of foods, and what influence all these factors have on health and disease. Professionals in such field as clinical nutrition assess a person's nutritional needs based on family and medical history, individual lifestyle and laboratory tests. They examine the results of this assessment and make recommendations on a person's diet and nutritional needs. Online degree programs in clinical nutrition include general nutrition courses and courses in specific areas (pediatric nutrition or geriatric nutrition). During their studies individuals get a solid foundation on how to apply the principles of dietetics and the biomedical and nutrition sciences to design and manage effective nutrition programs as part of clinical treatment and therapy programs and to manage health care facility food services. Careers |
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