What is the difference between what dietitians do and what nutritionists do?

Question

What is the difference between what dietitians do and what nutritionists do?

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Answer 1

In most places, dietician is a regulated profession and a protected title, while nutritionist is not.

I can’t legally call myself a dietician without the required education and professional licensing. But I can advertise my nutritionist services tomorrow, even though I don’t know anything about nutrition. In fact, my cat is a nutritionist too, because I said so. She has strong opinions on wet food vs dry food and we would like to charge you by the hour for her recommendations on what you should eat.

Note that in some jurisdictions, such as some Canadian provinces, nutritionist is also a protected title and registered profession, so the difference between a dietician and nutritionist can really depend on your local regulatory framework.