Common misconceptions about coming to see a Dietitian

#1 dietitians just tell you you’re not allowed to eat your favourite food again  

My job is to help people eat a nutritionally sound diet taking into account any dietary needs they may have, whilst ensuring they eat the foods they like, just in the right amounts. I want to provide you with the opportunity to gain the skills necessary to help make healthy dietary choices and help you find balance rather than simply cutting things out.

Forming restrictions, obsessions or deprivations around food is not healthy- balance and moderation is key.  

#2 Dietitians don’t eat anything unhealthy and wont understand or accept my eating habits

Dietitians aren’t super humans, we are normal everyday people that have a specific interest in food and what it does to the body. We face the same struggles as yourself- busy schedules, financial issues, life challenges that all affect our diets the same way. It’s not about being strict and restrictive, its about giving the body what it needs to make you look and feel better. Finding why your body may be giving you those sweet tooth, or greasy food cravings, is where we can help. We can help manage and curb eating habits to have your body craving whole nutritious foods. Having treat foods isn’t the end of the world!

#3 The advice given by a dietitian will be hard to understand and complicated to follow

My role is generally to make leading a healthier life easier and more enjoyable. Advice can be as simple and swapping certain food items to another, or learning what are the healthier choices. It’s about making sustainable changes that will benefit you for a lifetime. I am trained in behaviour modification so advice is suited and tailored to each individual to ensure benefits. Depending on your goals and requirements- we are there to help you- how hard or easy you as you need.

#4 Dieitians tell everyone the same thing

This is far from the truth. An initial consultation with a dietitian consists of a lot of information gathering to allow a deep understanding of the client and their background. Every single client has different dietary needs, lifestyles, goals, food preferences, and beliefs. Unlike information you would find on the internet or in a magazine, the dietitian tailor unique up to date advice for every individual.

#5 Is a dietitian and a nutritionist the same thing?

The DAA (Dietitians Association of Australia) outlines this clearly: ‘In Australia all dietitians are nutritionists however nutritionists without a dietetics qualification cannot take on the expert role of a dietitian. A dietitian has undertaken a course of university study that included substantial theory and supervised and assessed professional practice in clinical nutrition, medical nutrition therapy and food service management You have to meet strict criteria to become an accredited practising dietitan (APD). APD is the only credential for dietitians recognised by Medicare and the Department of Veterans’ Affairs (DVA) and many private health insurers.  There is no industry specific assessing authority that assess the qualifications of nutritionist who are not dietitians- meaning, an individual can call themselves an accredited nutritionist after completing tertiary qualifications but also someone that has completed a 3 week online course