| Registered dietitians (RDs) work in a variety of employment settings including health care, business and industry, public health, education, research, and private practice. Many of these professional environments, particularly those in medical and health care settings, require that an individual who will be giving nutrition information be credentialed and licensed as an RD. |
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In medical settings RDs educate patients about nutrition and administer medical nutrition therapy as part of the health care team. They may also manage the food service operations in these settings, as well as in schools, day-care centers, and correctional facilities, overseeing everything from food purchasing and preparation to managing staff. RDs work with patients of all ages and with all forms of disease including diabetes, cancer, and heart disease. RDs work along with physicians, nurses, respiratory therapists, physical therapists, and social workers, as part of the health care team, to improve the nutritional status of hospitalized patients. |
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Increasingly, people are recognizing that there is an important connection between nutrition, fitness and health. Corporations also realize they can significantly reduce health insurance costs and employee sick days by promoting behaviors that help prevent illness and disease. Consequently, wellness centers and corporations are employing RDs to help educate their clients or employees about the important connection between food, fitness and health. |
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RDs work in communications, consumer affairs, public relations, marketing or product development for many industries including the major food manufacturers. These corporate RDs are viewed as vital contributors to the success of the product in the marketplace. |
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The importance of nutrition to sports performance has been recognized for centuries. However, modern scientific methods are allowing scientists to separate myth from the fact when it comes to diet and sport performance. Registered Dietitians bring a holistic approach to the athlete since RDs are not only concerned about the performance of the athlete but about their total well-being and health. Consequently, many professional and amateur athletes work with RDs to help maximize both their performance and their health. |
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RDs are active in working to improve the nutritional status and health of the communities in which they work and live. Through health education seminars and programs, RDs teach and advise the public on ways to improve their quality of life through healthy eating habits. RDs are also often actively involved in reducing the incidence of hunger in their communities, states, and on a national and international level. |
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RDs direct or conduct experiments for food companies, pharmaceutical companies, universities and hospitals to help improve the health and lifestyle of all Americans. Whether it is to determine the importance of calcium to bone health or investigating the impact of genetically altered foods on health and society, RDs are frequently part of the research teams working on such important projects. |
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RDs often work for themselves in private practice and provide services to food service or restaurant managers, food vendors and distributors, athletes, nursing home residents, or company employees . |
