Which Subjects Can I Study In High School To Become A Dietitian?
Are you wondering which subjects you can study in high school to become a dietitian? If yes, then this informative article is for you. You will be given detailed information about which subjects you can study in high school to become a dietitian.
Who Is A Dietitian?
A dietician is a medically trained professional that alters an individual’s diet based on medical conditions, body make up, blood type, or contributing factors affecting the nutrition one receives. They assess, diagnose, recommend, and treat various medical diagnosis and dietary problems primarily on a one-on-one basis. Their primary goal is to ensure that the right quantity and type of nutrients are being consumed by the individual they are working with.
Types Of Dietitians
1. Business Dietitians
Business dietitians perform the role of resource persons in the business, communications and marketing industries. You may see them offering their expert opinion or knowledge about food or a particular diet on television or radio shows.
They may serve as a columnist of a magazine or newspaper’s health section, a resource speaker in nutrition-related events, or a resource person during the recipe creation and assessment process of food chains and restaurants. They can write books and corporate publications about food, health, nutrition and wellness.
2. Clinical Dietitians
Clinical dietitians are the dietitians we see in health care settings including clinics, hospitals, nursing facilities and the like. They work closely with other medical professionals like doctors, nurses, therapists, psychologists, dietetic technicians, pharmacists, social workers, and other nutrition professionals so they can perform their duties such as formulating meal plans and evaluating their client’s medical history more effectively.
3. Community Dietitians
Community dietitians work in public health organisations such as community health centres and home care agencies. They create and implement nutrition and wellness programs for the benefit of the residents of the community, with a focus on children’s, women’s, and the elderly’s nutritional needs.
4. Consultant Dietitians
Consultant dietitians are dietitians who render their services on a contractual basis with health institutions and companies. This is a common work set-up for dietitians in Australia, Canada and the United States of America. They may also work in private practice.
They can enter contracts independently just like any professional who works as a consultant and offer health and nutrition-related services and programs to their individual clients and the clients of the companies that contracted them. These companies may include gyms, fitness studios, and sports teams.
5. Food Service Dietitians
Food service dietitians work in company cafes, school canteens, restaurants, prisons, and organisations engaged in large-scale meal planning and feeding. They are in charge of the whole food service process, from planning the meals, coordinating with the kitchen staff for proper cooking, and evaluating the quality of the foods.
They develop new menus, launch health programs to ensure the dietary requirements of the clients they serve are being met, and perform regular audits to maintain food safety standards and uphold quality control measures. They can also train and manage the food service personnel including kitchen staff, dietary aides or technicians, and food delivery workers.
6. Gerontological Dietitians
Gerontological dietitians are the experts in the dietary needs and nutrition of the elderly. You’re bound to find one in hospitals, nursing homes, community health centres, and government and private agencies catering to the aging population.
Their primary duty is to plan and develop healthy menus for their elderly clients, including those who may have aging-related illnesses such as Alzheimer’s disease and type 2 diabetes, find it difficult to swallow foods, and are recovering from surgery.
They also educate their clients and their caregivers about healthy eating habits to ensure their clients’ nutritional needs are being met.
7. Neonatal Dietitians
Neonatal dietitians deliver medical nutrition therapy for newborns – infants less than four weeks old – who are born prematurely or with critical illness. Together with other members of the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit team, neonatal dietitians provide clinical assessments of their patients, advocate for breastfeeding, develop breastfeeding guidelines, draw up systematic plans for tube feedings and intravenous feedings, create health protocols and supervise the delivery, handling and storage of neonatal nutritional products. You can find neonatal dietitians in hospitals, children’s clinics and other healthcare facilities with NICUs.
8. Paediatric Dietitians
Aside from educating children, their parents, and caregivers about the importance of proper nutrition during childhood, paediatric dietitians also design treatment plans and nutritional programs for children ranging from one month old to 18 years old.
They are the dietitians you should consult if your child has a food allergy or intolerance, eating disorder or other medical conditions linked to their diet, like childhood obesity and type 1 diabetes.
9. Research Dietitians
Research dietitians conduct research studies with a focus on food, health services, nutrition, and social sciences. Owing to their immersion in the academic research field, some research dietitians also end up working as university professors of dietetics.
Their research studies may revolve around how the nutrients from foods interact with the human body and help prevent disease, or how a certain health policy or law affected the targeted population.
They may also conduct surveys about food service processes for the purpose of quality control management, or examine the effectiveness of a particular nutrition program or treatment plan.
You can find research dietitians in the academe, research organisations, and public and private health agencies.
10. Sports Dietitians
Sports dietitians are the dietitians of athletes and competitive sports professionals. Their specialisation is in sports nutrition, which is concerned with how diet and nutrition contributes to an athlete’s performance.
You can find sports dietitians in gyms, fitness centres, and sporting clubs. They may also work for a sporting team to provide diet and nutrition services for the team members exclusively.
The primary goal of sports dietitians is to help athletes reach their optimal performance with the proper diet. To achieve this goal, sports dietitians may give a lecture about pre- and post-training eating habits, prescribe supplements to boost the athletes’ immunity and performance, and plan meals for their clients’ upcoming sports competitions. They may also offer advice regarding weight management and hydration strategies.
High School Subjects To Become A Dietitian
- Biology
- Chemistry
- Nutrition Science.
What’s your take on this? We believe this article was helpful, if yes, don’t hesitate to share this information with your friends on Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp, and other Social Platforms.