What training, certs, etc. do our nuts have?

Just wondering what the professional training and certification standards are for persons who counsel us as nutritionists or dieticians (or any other title in this category)?  What should we be looking for when we look for one of these professionals? Thanks!

"Dietitians are health care professionals who advise and guide people about proper nutrition to promote good health or control and treat medical conditions through specialized nutrition regimens and modified diets. They work in a variety of practice areas including diet counseling, medical nutrition therapy, sports nutrition, cholesterol reduction, diabetes, heart and kidney disease, vegetarianism, pediatrics and organ transplant. Many dietitians consult for doctors, work in hospitals, restaurants, long-term care facilities and education systems, while others dedicate their careers to educating other health care professionals about nutrition or participate in scientific research. A Dietitian's education in Health science involves significant scientific-based knowledge in Anatomy, Chemistry, Biochemistry, Biology, Physiology, Nutrition & Medical Science. It is this strong foundation of advanced scientific knowledge coupled with counseling skills and aspects of psychology that enables a Dietitian to assess, analyze, intervene and educate a patient in relation to diet and disease. The Physician and the Dietitian are the two health professionals with the most well rounded knowledge on human biochemistry and physiology. " eNutritionCare.com A dietitian (R.D. - Registered Dietitian) has at least a bachelor's degree and has completed an internship. A R.D. has also passed a national examination (which is valid across the USA) which allows them to practice. Some dietitains also have a L.D. - licensed dietitian - which is mandatory in some states, but not all. Licensure is state-by-state. For example, my state, California, does not have licensure, so I am a RD, but not a LD. Make sense? However, if California decided to license dietitians, I'd be eligible to take the exam. Anyone can call themselves a nutritionist. There is no regulation on this title. Technically, you could print up some business cards, tell people you are a nutritionist and give GENERAL nutrition advise. A nutritionist can only give general advise. They CAN NOT give disease specific advise. Those nutritionists who are credentialed (Certified Nutritionist -- CN) have completed a 6-month program (this may vary from state-to-state) and have not taken the national examination. They would also not qualify to become licensed. Certified Nutritionists do have nutrition knowledge. However, a Registered Dietitian has more extensive knowledge not only on nutrition, but also on disease states, metabolism, biochemistry & physiology. What you should look for: Either a Certified Nutritionist or Registered Dietitian. If you have disease states such as diabetes or high blood pressure, you would definately want to see a Registered Dietitian. Look for the credentials behind their name. Either RD (registered dietitan) or CN (certified nutritionist). Although, my personal feeling for people who have had or are planning to have WLS, you should only consider Registered Dietitians because of their strong background in anatomy, biochemistry, and physiology. Sara Nejat-Bina, RD, CNSD, CDE eNutritionCare.com

Thanks!  I have seen people who have the following:  "RN, CSLC" behind the name.   I know what the RN is but what is CSLC?

I have no idea what CSLC is ... I'll ask around and get back to you.

 The American Dietetic Associations website eatright.com  explains the educational requirements for dietetians.....I agree with the other poster.. we need to be seeing dietitians or nutrionists who are certified by ADA. .Dietitians have a minimum basic level of nutrition education...They take as many science courses as pre-med students, and have a very strict internship program where they are supervised by other dietitians before they are eligible to take the national registry test. Some nurses have advanced nutrition education, many are given the credential of Certified Diabetes Educator.... We need to be careful of the term nutritionist....there is no national standard for using that title...some of the people who use this title haveonly had a weekend long training or are self educated in herbal or organic nutrition.....Weight loss surgery patients, both pre and post op need the professional experience of a dietitian....The ADA can recommend them from the website....

Kellyanne, I am MelaniaB_RD, Melania Behrens, MA, RD and am a colleague of SaraB_RD at eNutritionCare.com.  I agree with both Sara and you regarding Registered Dietitians.  This might seem a bit self-serving, but it important that people seeking professional nutrition advice search out a Registered Dietitian.  RD's have more specialized training in the field of nutrition than any other group in the healthcare field.   The link to The American Dietetic Association is eatright.org. Melania Behrens, MA, RD eNutritionCare.com

Just adding my 2 cents -  There was a post that nurses get a CDE certification (Certified Diabetes Educator) I'd like to point out that my esteemed colleague Sara also has her CDE. I think that those types of specialized certifications are also a good thing to look for.  It shows that the dietitian you are dealing with has taken the time to learn more and specialize in a specific area. We had talked about posting this information - I guess the curious minds of our OH'ers beat us to it! regards, Danielle Halewijn RD CNSD eNutritioncare.com