Nutritionists and dieticians are both healthcare professionals. They are nutrition experts who study the effects of diet and dietary supplements on one’s health and help people achieve their health goals via dietary and lifestyle changes.

Dieticians make nutrition and food plans to promote healthy eating. They work at colleges, and clinics, and conduct health and nutrition classes. Nutritionists generally do not undergo any professional physician training. Therefore, they do not diagnose or treat any disease, or prescribe any medicines.

Dieticians or nutritionists can help identify people’s health and nutritional needs. They also provide counselling to people about healthy eating habits and nutrition issues. They curate a nutrition and meal plan based on the body’s requirements and financial budget of a person to help achieve their weight loss/gain goals and health goals.

If you have a family history of high blood pressure, diabetes or heart disease, you should see a dietician to reduce the risk of developing any of these chronic conditions by eating tailored meals. A dietician is also helpful if you have a food allergy or sensitivity to certain foods or you need to lose weight.

Generally, nutritionists or dieticians ask people to fill up a questionnaire with detailed questions about their eating habits. They also ask people to maintain a 3-day food journal to assess the eating habits and food choices of people. It also helps the dieticians or nutritionists gauge the diet lifestyle and current health status of people.