Dietician

By
Luis Morfin
Pd. 1

Dietitians are health professionals who study and apply the principles of nutrition and food management. There are several kinds of dietitians and nutritionists. The largest group is made up of administrative dietitians. Administrative dietitians manage food services in hospitals, schools, nursing homes, restaurants, industrial plants, military bases, and other institutions. They plan and direct the purchase and preparation of food, as well as supervise other food service workers. Administrative dietitians ensure that the meals served are nutritious, appetizing, and within the institutions budget.

The educational requirement is a bachelor's degree is typically the least amount of education needed to become a dietitian, or nutritionist. Bachelor's, Master's, and Doctorate degrees are available in many colleges and universities across the country. Graduate degrees are needed to perform research. In addition to education, different states have different requirements on dietitian licenses. Some require the license while others only required certification or registration. The national test cost about 100.00 dollars.

Employment of dietitians and nutritionists is expected to increase 9 percent during the 2006-16 projection decade, about as fast as the average for all occupations. Job growth will result from an increasing emphasis on disease prevention through improved dietary habits. A growing and aging population will boost demand for nutritional counseling and treatment in hospitals, residential care facilities, schools, prisons, community health programs, and home health care agencies. Public interest in nutrition and increased emphasis on health education and prudent lifestyles also will spur demand, especially in food service management. Employment growth, however, may be constrained if some employers substitute other workers, such as health educators, food service managers, and dietetic technicians, to do work related to nutrition. Also, demand for nutritional therapy services is related to the ability of patients to pay, either out-of-pocket or through health insurance, and although more insurance plans now cover nutritional therapy services, the extent of such coverage varies among plans. Growth may be curbed by limitations on insurance reimbursement for dietetic services.

Median annual wages of dietitians and nutritionists were $50,590 in May 2008. The middle 50 percent earned between $41,060 and $61,790. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $31,460, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $73,410. According to the American Dietetic Association, median annual wages for registered dietitians in 2007 varied by practice area as $60,008 in consultation and business, $64,002 in food and nutrition management, $66,061 in education and research, $52,000 in clinical nutrition/ambulatory care, $53,997 in clinical nutrition/long-term care, $48,006 in community nutrition, and $48,984 in clinical nutrition care. Salaries also vary by years in practice, education level, and geographic region.

I learned that they can make food for people who are diabetic. But to make it as my career, it’s a lot of studying for just making food and being a weight trainer. Besides they don’t get paid well. They help people to lose weight and it sounds interesting. I think it’s one good career to have .