The Stigmas of a Dietitian

This is a post from a blog written by dietetic interns at the University of Maryland.  As January approaches, my life (and this blog) will revolve a lot more around my adventure to become an RD (Registered Dietitian).  So, I thought this blog would help you understand a little more about dietitians.

My comments are in RED

The Stigmas of a Dietitian

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The Stigmas of a Dietitian

By: Katy Meassick

I know most of you who read this are already a Registered Dietitian, on your way to be a Registered Dietitian or are already familiar with who dietitians are.  As I am in the final stretch to become a Registered Dietitian, I have come across some stigmas or grey areas about dietitians.  For those who read this, please, pass on the blog to friends who may have misinterpretations about who we are.  It is important to remember that blog is my opinion about the top 5 stigmas I have come been exposed to.

Stigma #1: We (dietitians) only eat balanced meals with the “five food groups” included every time.

Fact: We too have busy days where we can’t get in our “balanced” meal but we try our best to choose the best options from what is available at the time.

Stigma #2: We never eat “junk food”, drink soda, or indulge in a guilty pleasure.

Fact: We do, like everyone else, have birthdays, holidays, and other gatherings where we indulge – it’s all about moderation, balance, and self control.  Birthdays are not celebrated everyday for most of us – and if they were we would all be in trouble! (I would also add that we all have super emotional days where we eat our feelings.)

Stigma #3: We judge what everyone else eats. (I actually do this*)

Fact: Not true! This is probably the biggest annoyance for me.  It’s like telling people I am a lawyer – when I am out to eat with someone new and they ask me what I do for a living, I tell them and the automatically make a comment about what they are eating isn’t typical for them. If I am out to eat with you and I am just meeting you then it is not a typical day for you – I get it! Eat whatever you want!

Stigma #4: We all work in hospitals and that is the only place where I can find a job.

Fact: NO! They are so many career opportunities for RDs – sky is the limit.  In fact, I just completed a rotation at Montgomery County Public Schools and their Food Service Supervisors are mostly all RDs.  Now if you were to see that title you would not think those individuals would be RDs. We can work in community outreach; on farms; in universities; or even for the USDA’s Food and Nutrition Information Center, where tech savvy RDs write HTML codes, manage Twitter accounts, and write educational materials.

Stigma #5: We are all women.

Fact: As most of us are women there is the occasional male. And I think the need for more male dietitians is out there – most male clients or patients may feel more comfortable talking about their diet and health status with a male dietitian. (I have only known one male dietitian.  There was one guy in my class and he didn't even become an RD.  The poor guy could never get away with anything because he stuck out like a sore thumb.)

I hope I have cleared up the air for some of you.  Most of the dietitians I know, including myself, have a strong passion for helping others, healthy lifestyles, and food! What’s better than combining all three?  We all have to eat – if we create a healthy diet that we enjoy (dietitians just don’t take away favorite foods) then we can enjoy life a lot longer.

Finally, to clear the air some more, anyone can call themselves a nutritionist but it takes a determined, qualified individual to hold the R.D. credential.  All RDs obtain either a bachelor’s or master’s degree, then must be matched to a dietetic internship (which the match is no higher than 50%), successfully make it through the internship, then sit and take the RD exam AND pass.  It’s no joke! (AMEN) I have had some people make comments that they did not know dietitians have to go through all that to practice credibly. So when choosing a nutrition source where do you want your information to come from?

*Just kidding...I don't actually judge, but I sometimes count how much people eat