Episode 29: Dietitian, nutritionist or naturopath?

OnCore Nutrition - Two Peas in a Podcast

Dietitian

• Tertiary qualification in nutrition and dietetics recognised by national authorities.
• Dietitians apply the science of nutrition to the feeding and education of groups of people and individuals in health and disease
• Dietitians are also qualified to provide evidence based nutrition services to individual dietary counselling, medical nutrition therapy, group dietary therapy, food service management, public health nutrition, policy and research, food industry and community health.
• A dietitian has undertaken a course of study that included substantial theory and supervised and assessed professional practice in clinical nutrition, medical nutrition therapy and food service management.
• APDs work in hospitals and private practice, government, research and teaching, public health and community nutrition, the food and medical nutrition industries, and nutrition marketing and communications.
• All APDs are automatically able to use the AN credential, because as part of their qualification in human nutrition, an APD has undertaken a course of study that has included supervised and assessed professional practice in public health nutrition, medical nutrition therapy and food service management.
• Accredited Practising Dietitian is the only credential recognised by the Australian Government, Medicare, the Department of Veterans Affairs and most private health funds as the quality standard for nutrition and dietetics services in Australia. APDs are committed to the Dietitians Association of Australia Code of Professional Conduct, continuing professional development and providing quality services. A register of all current APDs can be found on the DAA website.
• To maintain APD status, nutrition and dietetic professionals are required to undertake a specified level of continuing education and professional development to ensure currency of practice. APD status is reviewed annually by DAA.

https://daa.asn.au/what-dietitans-do/dietitian-or-nutritionist/

Nutritionist

• May be tertiary qualified, but also may not be!
• It’s important to note that the term ‘nutritionist’ is not regulated, therefore, this title may be used by dietitians, nutrition scientists and nutrition graduates – and also those with very limited qualifications in nutrition.
• The Nutrition Society of Australia (NSA) has developed a voluntary Register of Nutritionists in Australia to help determine the level of training someone has undertaken.
• These Nutritionists may work in a number of other roles, including research, nutrition consultants and advisors, public health and health promotion officers, community development officers, quality and nutrition coordinators, food technologists, media spokespeople and more.
• APD = AN but AN does not = APD. ANs not qualified to provide medical nutrition therapy which includes individual and group dietary interventions.
• Any responsible ‘nutritionist’ will not be allowed to provide individualised dietary advice for any underlying medical condition - from diabetes to high cholesterol to IBS.
• There are currently no Medicare health fund rebates for clients of Nutritionists, and there is only limited private health insurance fund rebates for Nutritionists with some funds.

https://www.nutritionaustralia.org/national/resource/nutritionist-or-dietitian

Naturopath

• Naturopathy takes a holistic approach to wellness.
• Interventions - see below

Source: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/331789476_An_evidence_based_overview_of_naturopathic_practice_in_Australia

A professional naturopath is someone who has completed, at a minimum, an Advanced Diploma in either Naturopathy or Health Science, is registered with a professional body and is insured appropriately.

Aus gov warnings:

Naturopathy is not a treatment for specific illness or disease. Naturopathy is a complementary therapy in that it may be used alongside other medical and therapeutic techniques. Always be guided by your doctor or specialist before using naturopathy for any serious or chronic illness. Treat as suspect any practitioner who advises you to abandon your conventional medical treatment.

Regulation = self regulation only - voluntary and not governed

https://www.nhaa.org.au/mediareleases/be-informed/regulation-of-practitioners

https://www.nhaa.org.au/mediareleases/be-informed/regulation-of-practitioners

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2010-10-21/unregulated_naturopaths_putting_lives_at_risk/40276

Whilst developments such as the Code of Conduct for Unregistered Practitioners certainly help, they do not replace proper regulation of major professions.

End of insurance subsidies in 2017 due to lack of evidence to support efficacy

https://sciencebasedmedicine.org/australia-ends-insurance-subsidies-for-naturopathy-homeopathy-and-more/

Impact

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/331789476_An_evidence_based_overview_of_naturopathic_practice_in_Australia

https://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/Lookup/by%20Subject/4839.0~2016-17~Main%20Features~General%20practitioners~2

https://www.racgp.org.au/download/Documents/Publications/Health-of-the-Nation-2018-Report.pdf

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2010-10-21/unregulated_naturopaths_putting_lives_at_risk/40276

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/331789476_An_evidence_based_overview_of_naturopathic_practice_in_Australia

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30785315

What an influencer does

Research from the University of Glasgow found that almost 90% of social media influencers are sharing inaccurate and potentially harmful nutrition and weight loss advice.

https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/912360

Dietitians

Dr Nicole Kiss - follow on Twitter @NicoleKiss

Dr Tim Crowe - follow on Twitter @CroweTim, listen to podcast Thinking Nutrition

Hayley Blieden - https://austsuperfoods.com.au/

Nutritionists

Melissa Eaton - follow on Instagram @eatonbalanced

Jules Tellidis - follow on Instagram @wholesomehungry

Naturopaths

Abby Dolphin - https://olivewellnessinstitute.org/admember/abby-dolphin/

Bianca Potenta - https://hwstudio.com.au/