WHAT IS A NUTRITIONIST?

The word “nutritionist” probably conjures up a similar idea for most people: someone who helps people with diets and healthy eating. But what’s the difference between a nutritionist and dietician? What’s the meaning of all the letters you see behind practitioners’ names, LDN, CNS, CCN or RD? How do you know if you’re seeing a credible nutritionist? Here are some answers.

Dieticians

Dieticians are educated in a specific bachelor’s or master’s didactic program in dietetics and internship that qualifies them to take an exam to become a Registered Dietitian (RD or RDN) with the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND), a large not-for-profit membership organization with deep political roots. They are generally trained in a more conventional medical paradigm and may provide medical nutrition therapy in hospitals or long-term care facilities for people with acute illness or injuries, as well as preventative nutrition care. A Licensed Dietician Nutritionist (LDN) is an RD who also has licensure with a specific U.S. state government. There is no federal licensing requirement for dieticians or nutritionists, but there is a licensure path for RDs in all U.S. states. 

Nutritionists

The term “nutritionist” is not as specifically defined or regulated in all U.S. states. Rather than one body certifying nutritionists, there are several not-for-profit organizations that provide certification. The Clinical Nutrition Certification Board (CNCB) provides Certified Clinical Nutritionist (CCN) certification, which requires either a bachelor’s degree in nutrition plus completing a clinical nutrition program with the CNCB, or a master’s degree in nutrition and passing their board exam. The American Nutrition Association (ANA) provides Certified Nutrition Specialist (CNS) certification with completion of an accredited master’s program in nutrition and integrative health plus 1000 hours of supervised clinical practice and passing their board exam. CNSs are trained from a functional, integrative perspective to look at the client as a whole and root out the causes of symptoms rather than addressing only the symptoms themselves. They don’t provide medical nutrition therapy or work in hospitals or long-term care facilities. There are also various other nutrition programs from educational entities that don’t provide an accredited degree. 

What to look for in a nutritionist

Look for a practitioner with an advanced nutrition or dietetics degree from an accredited university. They worked hard to earn their education and certification and will probably display it clearly in their titles or the “About” section of their practice website. If you can’t find any reference to their degree or LDN, CCN or CNS certification, chances are they don’t have one. Most other medical professionals, including conventional medical doctors, aren’t required to study clinical nutrition in order to attain their degrees, so look for evidence of further nutrition certification before relying on them for nutrition care. Naturopathic doctors (NDs) do complete a clinical nutrition course of study.

Legality of practicing nutrition care

Depending on the state, there are different requirements to practice nutrition. Currently, in Montana, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Iowa, Missouri, Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia, Tennessee and Ohio it is illegal to practice nutrition counseling without being an LDN. In Florida, Illinois, Maryland and Delaware there is licensure for nutritionists, requiring being an RD, CNS or equivalent, and it is not legal to practice nutrition care without it. In the remaining states, there are no restrictions on providing nutrition care or calling yourself a nutritionist, though some have licensure for nutritionists. Telehealth is common practice since the COVID 19 pandemic, and the laws aren’t yet clear as to the legal requirements for practicing telehealth in states with different legal restrictions. I don’t ask telehealth clients for their address or home state, but I do ask that they sign a waiver stating that they aren’t breaking any laws for the state in which they reside. For more information and to advocate for nutrition care in your state, visit https://theana.org/advocate.