Major differences exist between the professions of dietetics and clinic nutrition science.

Hopefully, by clarifying the differences, confusion and conflict between the two can be avoided.

DIETETICS

Dietetics, as the name indicates, is primarily the study of human diet.  It is a practical and applied field of study that is used extensively in the food service industry, and in the school and hospital food services.  The field includes such areas as caloric analysis of diet, meal planning, special diets for the sick, basic nutritional science, serving sizes, and analysis by food grouping.  Dietitians are not usually primary care providers.

Dietitians are trained in four-year programs, where they receive a degree in dietetics.  They can then be registered with the American Dietetics Association.  ‘Dietitian’ is a recognized legal term for a person who has graduated from standardized, accredited program in dietetics which includes an internship program.  Dietitians are recognized as an allied healing art that is closely associated with the allopathic medical profession.  Dietitians work under medical doctors in many in-patient facilities.  Dietitians are also often employed by food service companies in product development and other areas.

NUTRITION SCIENCE

Nutrition is sum total of the metabolic process involved in metabolism.  It is most closely related to the sciences of physiology or organ function, and biochemistry, the chemistry of living systems.  Nutrition science is the study of the chemical components of foods and their effects upon body tissues. 

Applied or clinical nutrition is the application of nutritional biochemistry to improve human health.  Clinical nutrition is not taught extensively at medical schools and is not formally associated with the allopathic medical profession.  It is best termed an alternative or complimentary healing art, rather one that is allied with orthodox medicine.

In most states, the word ‘nutritionist’ or ‘nutrition consultant’ does not indicate a graduate of any particular school or holder of any particular degree.  Many universities and certifying organizations offer degrees and certification in nutrition science.  However, their prerequisites, curricula, length of program and approach to nutrition vary greatly. Some programs are similar to dietetics, focusing more on diet and health.  Others focus more on minerals, vitamins, and other chemical components of foods.  Others teach drugless healing arts of Oriental healing sciences that incorporate nutrition as part of the course of study.  Still others are oriented to biochemical research, since nutritional science is a large and growing research area.

SUMMARY

Dietetics is primarily the study of human diet and food preparation.  Dietitians often work in association with allopathic physicians, where they restrict their role to food and diet preparation and analysis.  ‘Dietitian’ is a recognized legal term for a person who has graduated from a standardized program at an accredited college.

Nutrition science is an area of biochemistry that is specifically concerned with the effects of foods and food components on the human body.  Clinical nutrition is the application of this knowledge to enhance energy and improve health.  The words ‘nutritionist’ and ‘nutrition consultant’ carry no legal definition in most states.  Training and experience among nutrition consultants may vary widely because nutrition science is a broad clinical as well as research field.