Dietitian vs. Nutritionist: What’s the difference?
Dietitians and Nutritionists are healthcare professionals that help people with navigating food and improving their diet, with the goal of improving health and wellbeing. Whilst they share this in common, there are some differences in how dietitians vs nutritionists are trained and also in where or who they work with.
Most dietitians and nutritionists will have completed a degree in nutrition or health science. Dietitians will then need to complete a dietetics component of that degree or a Master’s in Dietetics which provides them with training to work in medical areas.
What is a dietitian?
A dietitian is a professional who applies nutrition science to promote health, prevent or treat disease or health conditions. Examples of health conditions include food allergies, nutrition deficiencies or medically diagnosed Irritable Bowel Syndrome. Examples of disease include diabetes, cardiovascular disease, obesity or cancer. Many dietitians work in hospitals, medical centers or their own private practice clinic. They may also work in aged care, sports performance (this is usually an Accredited Sports Dietitian) research, public health, government, or the food industry.
What is a nutritionist?
A nutritionist is a professional who applies nutrition science to assist individuals in improving their health or navigating health conditions such as those described above. Many nutritionists work in public health, nutrition communication, the food industry and some consult in private practice or work in research.
What qualifications/accreditations in Australia do they have?
When choosing a dietitian, it’s important to look for “Accredited Practising Dietitian” as these dietitians are accredited by Dietitians Australia where they need to follow a code of conduct and professional standards as well as study an accredited degree to be recognised with this credential. Some may also provide medicare or health fund rebates for their consultations (always check with your provider).
Similarly, look for “Registered Nutritionist” as these nutritionists are registered by Nutrition Society of Australia and have to abide by their professional conduct and code of ethics as well as study an appropriate degree.
Both Registered Nutritionists and Accredited Practising Dietitians have to commit to ongoing professional development each year to ensure they stay up to date with evolving science.
How do their responsibilities differ?
Dietitian:
Accreditation: Accredited Practising Dietitian (APD)
Where they help: Improve health and wellbeing, prevent or treat disease or health conditions.
Type of work settings:
- Hospitals
- Medical centers
- Private practice clinic or business
- Aged care facilities
- Sports performance
- Universities (research and/or teaching) public health
- Government
- The food industry
Nutritionist:
Accreditation: Registered Nutritionist (Nutr, RNutr, RPHNutr, or RAnNutr)
Where they help: Improve health and wellbeing or improve health conditions.
Type of work settings:
- Private practice clinic or business
- Universities (research and/or teaching)
- Public health
- Government
- Nutrition communication
- The food industry.
Dietitians and nutritionists don’t only work one-on-one with people. Many dietitians and nutritionists also work in roles like public health, research, retail, food industry and communications (like social media) to create a healthier environment or improve education for large groups of people. Whilst there are differences between a dietitian and nutritionist, they often share the common interest of applying evidence-based nutrition science to improve health and create a healthier world.
Reviewed by healthylife health experts April 2023.