Nutrition
More to a Diet ( itian )
By Tanya Huber
Good nutrition forms the basis of good health , and dietitians are at the core of good nutrition , yet the dietetics profession , and the nutrition industry in general , are struggling .
I
’ ve been a Registered Dietitian for almost seven years , and I ’ ve seen my fair share of chronic illness and disease , and there is one common denominator with many of these illnesses and diseases : The lack of good nutrition . This is why I cannot fathom why nutrition seems to be the most overlooked component of health . A generalised consensus is that dietitians are often overlooked as medical professionals , our medical opinion is ( mostly ) unappreciated , and we are not seen as a critical part of a team approach to healthcare .
As one colleague told me , “ The other day , a doctor told me that he only refers his diabetic patients to dietitians if they have uncontrolled diabetes . Instead , he prefers to do dietary counselling himself .” Dietitians should not be the last resort to combat uncontrolled diabetes , they should be the first , and with South Africans facing a growing obesity and chronic disease epidemic , this is tragic .
Points to Chew On
Dietitians practise an evidence-based approach to treating disease and illness with medical nutrition therapy . We are trained in areas such as physiology and anatomy , psychology , pharmaceuticals , and many other key areas when it comes to health , such as being able to decipher blood and biochemical results , assess physical symptoms , and perform anthropometry . There really is much more to the profession than meets the eye . Or stomach .
No-one understands the connection between nutrition , illness and the body better than dietitians . Not your GP , not your aunty down the road , not that influencer on Instagram , and definitely not Google . Believe it or not , dietitians are capable of more much than giving out meal plans and helping you to shed excess weight . We are responsible for the medical nutritional therapy ( MNT ) of many diseases and illnesses , and if I had to give an overview of what we are taught during four years at university , an internship or our year of working in the public healthcare system , you and I would both be sitting here till Christmas !
Deterrents to Dietetics
Both the public and private healthcare industries play a role in nutrition not playing a big role in the health of the South African population . In public healthcare , there are not many employment options for dietitians , and in my experience , dietetic departments in hospitals and clinics have poor provisions and are under-resourced . Although nutrition is a critical part of hospital care , ( most ) healthcare workers are not trained in the importance nor the application of nutrition therapy . This results in a critical element in the medical care of patients being overlooked .
In private healthcare , the role of the dietitian is indirectly overlooked when treatment plans do not allow for the inclusion of nutrition therapy . Funds are often not available for nutritional treatment , and thus patients have to pay cash , out of pocket , to see a dietitian , which can be a huge deterrent for seeking nutritional help . Another indirect deterrent is the allocation of points or rewards in private medical aid loyalty programmes . Points or rewards for good nutrition or consulting with a dietitian are minimal in comparison to having physical tests that measure key chronic illness indicators as well as fitness indicators . These physical tests often show unfavourable results that are treatable , but this requires behavioural ( lifestyle and dietary ) change , which can be difficult to implement . This is where nutritional education and therapy is vital , but it is ( mostly ) not sought after or implemented .
additional challenge of having to compete with these unqualified ‘ players ’ who do not have any sort of credentials to give them the right to be experts in nutrition , but they are providing the population with “ nutritional advice ” – an activity that , by law , requires one to have a degree and credentials set out by the Health Professionals Council of South Africa ( HPCSA ). They are able to generate ( substantial ) income without having to abide by the rules of the HPCSA , nor pay the exorbitant fees that goes with being a member , and have often bypassed the time , money and effort spent at university .
Recognise the Expertise
So , it ’ s time for the world to start noticing the dietetics profession . It ’ s time to acknowledge that dietitians are more than the ‘ sugar
police ,’ or just meal plan developers . For the general public , I urge you to seek professional help and guidance from a registered nutritional professional such as a dietitian when it comes to your health . The cost is inconsequential when looking at the bigger picture , and what your healthcare will cost you without good nutrition .
Tanya Huber is a Johannesburgbased dietitian with a passion for mindful eating , women ' s health and helping people to be the best version of themselves . Her practice focuses mainly on weight-loss , chronic disease such as high cholesterol and diabetes , Polycystic ovary syndrome ( PCOS ) and mental health . She believes in changing habits and reforming one ’ s mindset in order to have a healthy relationship with food , because food is life – literally and figuratively . More info at www . tanyahuber . com .
Images : Pexels
However , influencers now give nutritional advice over social media ( and even sell books on nutrition ), and meal plans are distributed in the gym by personal trainers . Dietitians therefore face the
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