As the old adage goes, "You are what you eat."
That saying does ring true for the most part as our bodies do seem to reflect
what we tend to put in them, and that then reveals what we can get out of them
through work and play. It does seem like the food we eat becomes a big
indicator of what we can become as individuals, so living a good life does
indeed involve much on the food we regularly eat. That's where the topics of
diet and nutrition come in to attempt in making sense of this.
The specialists who concern themselves in these matters are
known as either dietitians or nutritionists. These two names for corresponding
practitioners of the sciences concerning the consumption of food and its effects
on the body are well-known to people, yet also just as enigmatic. Few really
know what each of them really means, which is why just about any two-bit
charlatan declaring themselves as a "food guru" can call themselves a
nutritionist or dietitian who supposedly knows all about what food is good for
the human body and what is not.
The line between a Sydney nutritionist and dietitian may
seem blurred, but it's indeed there. For one thing, a dietitian is under more
regulations than a nutritionist. After studying in a field like nutrition
science, a prospective dietitian then completes an internship or practice
program at a food service company or health care facility, then takes the
corresponding national examination. Upon passing that, that person becomes an
R.D. or registered dietitian.
On the other hand, the term "nutritionist" is
broader by definition. A dietitian can be identified as a nutritionist if
he/she is concerned more about the intricacies of nutrition, but nutritionists
can't really identify themselves as dietitians if they're not officially
registered. Qualified nutritionists do undergo extensive training and study,
acquiring graduate degrees along the way, either a Master's of science or a
Ph.D. There are also nutritionist certification boards for proper
accreditation.
So it can be said that both dietitians and nutritionists
have to fulfill stringent requirements in order to be qualified for their
professions, however different they may be. Both need credentials in order to
be seen as qualified to do their jobs, or at least look like it. Dietitians are
less susceptible to having individuals practice as such without a license due
to being regulated, while there are "nutritionists" that seem to
profit from fooling others. Perhaps there lies a fundamental difference between
the two, and you should be aware of it.
If you're looking for a qualified Sydney nutritionist
or dietitian with whatever problems you may have regarding food and health,
then you'll have to be familiar with the qualifications and prerequisites for
each. This is to ensure that you find one who does indeed know what he/she is
talking about. The last thing you'd ever want is to waste your time and money
getting crucial nutrition advice from a quack.