Nutritionist

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A nutritionist is a person who advises people on dietary matters relating to health, well-being and optimal nutrition. Self-identified nutritionists have varying levels of education, and can be someone with little or no educational background because the term "nutritionist" is not a legally protected term as a registered dietitian (RD) is. There are educational and credentialing requirements set forth in order for one to be called a registered dietitian. That being said, "anyone" can call themselves a nutritionist and dispense nutrition information without any nutrition or educational background whatsoever; however, not everyone can be called a registered dietitian. You can know someone is a registered dietitian by the initials or abbreviation after their name "RD" much like a medical doctor is "MD."

Many nutritionists appear on television, in newspapers and magazines, and write nutritional books, which may or may not have any real informational value regarding diet. While not common, registered dietitians; particularly business and consulting dietitians will refer to themselves as nutritionists as it is a more commonly-known term.

See Dietitian#Qualification for more information on different academic routes to becoming a dietitian.

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