Nutritionists, Nutritional Therapists and Dieticians

Nutrition professionals come in many different guises and their educational qualifications and experience may differ. Qualified and registered professionals will generally be Nutritionists, Nutritional Therapists or Dieticians.

Dieticians generally work within the NHS. They will have taken a four-year undergraduate dietetic degree or a postgraduate course accredited by the HCPC (Health and Care Professions Council.)

Registered Nutritionists (RNutr) will have taken a 3 or 4-year undergraduate degree, or a one-year postgraduate degree accredited by AfN (Association for Nutritionists), plus three or more years practice experience before they are qualified and accepted by AfN as a registered nutritionist. As an interim, once study competencies have been gained but before an approved period of practice experience achieved, a person may be registered with AfN as an Associate Nutritionist (ANutr)

A registered Nutritional Therapist uses a wide range of tools to assess and identify potential nutritional imbalances, enabling them to support individuals improve their health and wellbeing. Training includes Diploma and Masters level courses lasting 3 to 5 years. All training must be accredited by the Nutritional Therapy Education Commission (NTEC) which affords entry on the register held by the CNHC (Complementary and National Healthcare Council.)  BANT (British Association for Applied Nutrition & Nutritional Therapy) and (NNA) Naturopathic Nutrition Association) are the professional bodies for Registered Professional Nutritional Therapists.

The AfN provides a comprehensive comparative summary of the different types of nutrition professionals.

Nutrition professionals, registered with an appropriate association, will also undergo regular Continual Professional Development (CPD) to ensure they maintain standards.

Many complementary therapists may also offer broad-based nutritional advice as part of their service and based on years of experience but for expert nutritional advice, particularly if relating to specific health issues, always seek a qualified professional.

Find Nutritionists, Nutritional Therapists and Dieticians in Essex via our directory but, as always, please check qualifications are appropriate for the purposes required.