what is the difference between Registered Dietitian/Nutritionist (RD/N),
Nutritionist, NUtritional Therapist, Nutrition Therapy Practitioner or Health Coach?
In the state of California, business code and law govern which designated healthcare professionals can provide nutrition assessment, therapy and counseling - this is the Registered Dietitian / Nutritionist (RD/N) - the professional by education, testing and certification which is the expert in nutrition.
What is a Registered Dietitian / Nutritionist (RD/N)? The RD/N is a health care professional whose education and training includes:
Bachelors or Masters degree in Nutrition or Public Health (Masters required in 2024),
Supervised practice internship under mentorship of experienced preceptors (competitive application) minimum 900 hours.
Successful qualification by credentialling exam and continuing education to renew credentials every 5 years.
This education and training provides the RD/N ability to translate scientific information into practical solutions to help individuals make positive lifestyle changes with their nutritional intake. The specialized education and training prepare RD/Ns to provide medical nutrition therapy and nutrition counseling/education to promote and advocate optimal health for all. Scope of practice for the RD/N includes implementation of nutrition interventions to meet person-centered nutrient and energy needs, including but not limited to prescribed/therapeutic diets, medical foods, dietary supplements, provide a nutrition focused physical exam, interpretation of nutrition related labs, and nutrition based behavioral counseling. Learn more.
What is a Nutritionist, a Nutritional Therapist or Nutrition Therapy Practitioner? There is no definition or recognition of the term “nutritionist” or “nutritional therapist” or “nutritional therapy practitioner” in many states including California. Thus individuals with or without days or weeks of an online course may call themselves a nutritionist or any of the above titles. As well, one may have a bachelor’s degree in nutrition (or any field), or no degree at all.
Credentials: None - there is currently no credentially body, although there are schools which offer a certificate.
Qualified for: a Nutritionist is not qualified to provide individualized nutrition counseling - although may provide counseling and education on general healthy eating (middle school level).
What is a Health Coach? Health Coaches provide clients with a safe, supportive space to explore their health issues and goals. They encourage clients to focus not just on their food intake and dietary aspects of their health, but other areas of their life that can provide fulfillment and nourishment, such as the quality of their relationships, satisfaction with their job/career, how their home and environment make them feel, and even their connection to a spiritual practice.
Credentials: None - there is currently no credentially body, although there are schools which offer a certificate.
Qualified for: a Health Coach is not qualified to provide individualized nutrition counseling - although may provide counseling and education on general healthy eating (middle school level).
Which profession, or who can teach about healthy eating? Information such as eating healthy is free and in the public domain, it may be provided and shared by anyone in the state of California and should reflect nutritional guidelines as delineated in the Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA). This means that anyone can teach the role of food and food ingredients (similar to a middle school level health class), provide and create recipes, grocery lists and plan meals based on the DGA and share with their friends and community for the purpose of improved wellness.
Nutritionists, Nutritional Therapy Practitioners and Health Coaches cannot counsel regarding prevention or treatment of a medical condition (e.g. high cholesterol, hypertension, PCOS, ARFID), cannot provide nutritional assessment nor bio-individual counseling based on their own research, even though they often purport to offer these indivudualized medical nutrition therapy services.
The Registered Dietitian/Nutritionist is the only designated professional that can provide individualized nutrition counseling and medical nutrition therapy to address your health as it relates to food intake and provide a validated prescription and superbill to reimburse services via medical insurance.