26/07/2020
A great challenge of life:
Knowing enough to think you are right, but not knowing enough to know you are wrong.
-Neil deGrasse Tyson
Friends be careful who you listen to. Florida recently changed the protection of the Registered Dietitian license. The law still says that only RDs can provide medical nutrition therapy for specific medical conditions, but nutrition guidance and recommendations for weight loss is no longer protected by licensure. This means that anyone can sell their nutrition services for weight loss regardless of the amount or quality of training that they have. For example, an individual can pay to take a basic nutrition course online, get a “nutrition certificate”, and then advertise themselves as offering more or less the same services as a Dietitian. In contrast, to earn my credentials I completed a 4 year bachelors degree and 2 year masters degree, both in human nutrition, along with 1200 hours of supervised internship work in a variety of hospitals, clinics and wellness centers. I then studied for several months to take a lengthy registration exam in order to be officially certified as a Registered Dietitian and on top of that took additional courses to acquire state licensure. In order to maintain those credentials, I have to consistently complete and log continuing education hours.
I do not tell you this to brag about my education, only to remind you that in a world of conflicting health misinformation, be sure the source you are listening to is a good one. There are educated professionals who are not RDs but not everyone who claims to know about nutrition is actually knowledgeable. Many “experts” learned just enough to consider themselves an expert but not enough to know how little they know. I am continually struck with how much more I have to learn.
Bottom line— do your research, and if you have a nutrition question ask me or another RD! We love to help❤️