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What is dietetics?

Dietetics is the study of food and nutrition. Dieticians study how our bodies process food and absorb nutrients (fats, vitamins, proteins, carbohydrates, water, and minerals).

Dietetics helps to understand a person’s eating habits and analyses what diet would be best for them, whether they are a healthy individual or they have a long-term condition that could affect what nutrition they need.

What diseases can dietetics treat?

Dietetics studies and treats diseases related to malnutrition, as well advising patients with:

• type 1 and type 2 diabetes
• hypertension
• coeliac disease
• HIV
• chronic fatigue syndrome
• irritable bowel syndrome
• arthritis
• osteoporosis
• polycystic ovary syndrome

Dietetics subspecialties

There are no specific subspecialties within dietetics, but a dietician might take a specialist interest in the management of diabetes, hypertension or arthritis. Dieticians also work closely with other specialists such as bariatric surgeons, allergists, and endocrinologists, depending on the condition of the patient.

When to see a dietician.

There are many reasons why people visit a dietician:

• you want advice on how to lose weight or maintain weight you have lost
• you’ve had gastric bypass surgery and need help adjusting to what your stomach can now process
• you want advice on how to gain weight
• you are experiencing digestive problems
• you want to increase your performance in a sport or athletics
• you have a food allergy and want to know about alternative ways of getting the nutrients you need
• you want support with an eating disorder
• you want advice on diet during pregnancy

You can also see a dietician on behalf of your child or a person you’re looking after.