Nutritionist

What is a Nutritionist?

The following job responsibilities are common for individuals in nutritionist roles:

• Evaluate the needs of patients by understanding what conditions or issues they’re suffering from and collecting information about current eating habits
• Educate patients and caregivers about nutritional needs of individuals in certain age groups or with certain diseases or conditions
• Help patients create meal plans that fulfill their nutritional and budget needs

A Day in the Life

Nutritionists are health advocates that encourage and teach individuals to prevent and manage disease through healthy diets. Nutritionists can work in a variety of roles. Some work in doctor’s offices and hospitals and teach individuals with new dietary restrictions how to eat appropriately for conditions like heart disease or kidney failure. Some work for government organizations that teach new parents how to feed their children for proper nutrition. Some work for restaurants and help develop healthy recipes.

In addition to advocating for healthy nutrition and educating individuals, nutritionists also commonly give presentations to community members in groups. For example, they may go to individual schools in a community and teach classes of students about healthy eating. They may also work with groups of elderly patients in nursing homes. Nutritionists also commonly engage in ongoing education, research, and publication to become better at their jobs and to educate others on the importance of nutrition.

Some nutritionists work for health or weight loss facilities or organizations and teach people how to eat in order to lose weight, gain muscle, or participate in activities like marathons or triathlons. These individuals may work alongside physical trainers to form a fitness and nutrition program that meets the needs of individuals who join the gym, facility, or organization and opt in to health counseling services.

Typical Work Schedule

Most commonly nutritionists work full-time following the standard 40 hours per week. However, they may occasionally need to work on evenings and weekends to accommodate the schedule of their clients. This usually adds longer hours to their schedules. In addition, Nutritionists may also work in public events or deliver educational content on the television or other media. This requires more flexible working schedule to deliver the content at the best time suitable to the audience.

Projected Job Growth

The employment of nutritionist is expected to increase by at least 8 % from 2019 to 2029 according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, which is much faster than the average for all other jobs. This is attributed to the increased knowledge and awareness about the importance of food and nutrition in promoting health and wellness. Accordingly, there is growing market for nutritionist particularly in high income countries. Unlike dietitians who must be licensed and work with sick and healthy people, the term “nutritionist” is regulated by certain states as they only work with healthy people. However, nutritionists may need to earn the Certified Nutrition Specialist (CNS) credential to show an advanced level of knowledge and have an edge in any future competition. This certification is administered by the Board for Certification of Nutrition Specialists.

Nutritionist Specializations

• Clinical nutritionists work in schools, nursing homes, hospitals, or prisons and help develop menus and nutrition programs for the institutions they work for.
• Community nutritionists work for health facilities, health insurance providers, and fitness centers and educate individuals and groups on what should be consumed for proper health.
• Administrative nutritionists develop large-scale nutrition programs. Their responsibilities include forming meal plans, managing a budget, and managing other nutritionists.

Typical Employers

There is currently high demand for nutritionists which provides large variety of commercial opportunities. Employers include fitness and wellness centers as well as nutritional supplement companies where they provide dietary consultations and formulate meal plans for clients. Famous nutritional companies include Healthkart, Amyris, Promoboxx, FatSecret and Nanosys. Other employers may include healthy food restaurants and large corporations designing their nutrition plans as well as sports nutrition plans. In addition, you may work for governmental agencies as the Department of Health or the Department of Agriculture, to educate the general public on the importance of a well-balanced lifestyle. Additionally, many nutritionists are currently working using online websites or applications as MyFitnessPal, MyNetDiary, Protein Tracker and Superfood. These applications provide more flexibility and may achieve much higher revenue compared to other career options.