What Can a Dietitian Do For You?

Dietitians are the leading experts on nutrition and its relationship to human health. The term “dietitian” is often used interchangeably with “nutritionist,” however there are some key differences to be aware of when choosing a reputable nutrition professional to work with.

Registered Dietitians (RDs) or Registered Dietitian-Nutritionists (RDNs) are required to complete a four-year bachelor’s degree in an ACEND-accredited program, complete a dietetic internship, pass a registration exam prior to starting practice, and acquire licensure. Starting in 2024, dietitians will need to have a master’s degree.

Registered Dietitians also complete continuing education in order to keep up-to-date on developments in nutrition research and to hone their skills in specialty areas (such as obesity and weight management). This advanced education in medical nutrition therapy helps them to translate new scientific literature into useful messaging for general audiences. Dietitians work in a variety of settings including hospitals, outpatient clinics, schools, food service operations, community and public health organizations, sports teams, research, and private practice.

At Iowa Weight Loss Specialists, the dietitians are an important point of contact in your ongoing care with weight management. They are available to provide a number of services related to nutrition (and exercise). For patients on the Bariatric surgery track, dietitians conduct initial consultations, diet visits required by insurance companies to help patients successfully adopt healthy behaviors that will improve their chances of long-term success, and regular ongoing post-op check-in’s.

Below are a few additional examples of what our dietitians do:

• Counsel you to effectively implement healthy and sustainable habits and strategies that fit with your lifestyle, preferences, and goals.

• Recommend diet and lifestyle changes for a variety of medical conditions and special dietary considerations (ex. diabetes, heart health, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), gluten-free, vegetarian, obesity, and others).

• Calculate your calorie, macronutrient, and fluid needs, along with other individualized variables, for long-term weight loss success.

• Provide a fresh perspective and ideas to help keep your dietary goals on track.

• Identify solutions for common barriers to weight loss such as lack of time to prepare healthier meals, food budget concerns, food cravings, or lack of nutrition knowledge.

• Correct misinformation and misunderstandings about food and weight loss approaches, and provide clarity about what areas to focus on for making effective progress.

• Act as a source of accountability for sticking to behaviors that will keep you on track to meet your goals.

• Offer practical resources like grocery shopping lists, meal plans, exercise routines, and new product recommendations.

• Review your food journal and suggest adjustments.

• Develop new recipes and conduct cooking demos.

• Answer any questions or concerns you have related to food and nutrition.

Learn more about our dietitians at Iowa Weight Loss Specialists!