Die Titan Dietician Nutritionist Article 2

FROM THE ACADEMY
Question of the Month
Dietitian, Dietician, or Nutritionist?
T
HE TERMS DIETITIAN VS around 1920, and some dietitians organizational units (Commission on
nutritionist and the correct were called nutrition workers. Mary Dietetic Registration, Accreditation
spelling of dietitian have been Swartz Rose noted that this term was Council for Education in Nutrition and
ever-evolving issues for our awkward, and it gradually became Dietetics, Council on Future Practice,
profession. To trace back the origins nutritionist.1 The correct or preferable Education Committee, and Nutrition
of these issues we would need to start spelling of dietitian has been a long- and Dietetics Educators and Preceptors
before the founding of the American standing matter for the profession of DPG) supported moving forward with
Dietetic Association (ADA) in 1917. dietetics. In 1930, the ADA executive the use of the RDN credential.
The word dietetics was included in committee at the 13th Annual Meeting Incorporating nutritionist into the RD
the 1839 Dunglison Medical Lexicon considered a variety of issues, one be- credential highlights that “all regis-
and defined as “a branch of medicine ing the official spelling of dietitian with tered dietitians are nutritionists, but
comprising the rules to be followed a “t”—and this was the spelling that not all nutritionists are registered
for preventing, relieving, or curing was adopted.1 dietitians.”4
disease by diet.”1 In the 1870s, cook- In 1940, an ADA committee was As we enter the month of March,
ing schools started to be developed, formed to update the definition of the Academy celebrates the eighth
laying the ground work for the die- dietitian, which became a person “who Registered Dietitian Nutritionist Day5
tetics profession in the United States. had college training in the science of and acknowledges the contributions
Graduates of these cooking schools nutrition and management and is pro- and expertise of registered dietitian
were often called “dietists.”1 Moving ficient in the art of feeding individuals nutritionists as the food and nutrition
forward to 1899, the word dietitian and groups.” A nutritionist in a public experts.
was coined at the Lake Placid Confer- agency was a “qualified, professionally
ence on Home Economics. 2 These trained person who directs or carries References
women also created the first defini- on a program of activities dealing with 1. Cassell JA. Carry the Flame: The History of
tion of a dietitian: “persons who the application of scientific knowledge the American Dietetic Association. Chicago,
IL: American Dietetic Association; 1990.
specialize in the knowledge of food of nutrition to the prevention of dis-
2. South ML. Reflections of a diamond: 75
and can meet the demands of the ease and the promotion of positive years for ADA. J Am Diet Assoc. August
medical profession for diet therapy.”2 health.”1 1993;93(8):892-896.
Records of these early meetings noted The spelling of dietitian continued 3. Sharp M. The “c” in dietitians—A long his-
that in a discussion by Mary Swartz to be controversial. In 1954, the ADA tory and fading future (maybe). Dietetics
Around the World. Newsletter from the
Rose and Lenna F. Cooper, the terms Courier mentioned that Time Magazine International Confederation of Dietetics
dietist and dietician were both used.1 reported “the word dietitian is among Associations. 2010; vol 17, issue 2. http://
In 1917, when the American Home the 20 most misspelled words.”1 Mov- www.internationaldietetics.org/Newsletter/
Vol17Issue2/Feature-Article/The-c-in-die
Economist Association meeting was ing forward into the early 1960s,
titians-a-long-history-and-fading-futu.aspx.
cancelled because of World War I, dietetic associations, under the aus- Accessed December 16, 2014.
Lenna Cooper and Lulu Graves de- pices of the International Committee of 4. Commission of Dietetic Registration (CDR).
cided there should be an opportunity Dietetic Associations (ICDA), worked RDN Credential—Frequently Asked Ques-
for the dietitians in the country to together to standardize information tions. http://www.cdrnet.org/news/rdncre
dentialfaq. Accessed December 18, 2014.
meet and discuss the issues facing about dietitians under the Interna-
5. Academy of Nutrition and Dietetic’s Regis-
the hospital dietitian—and the Amer- tional Standard Classification of Occu- tered Dietitian Nutritionist Day. http://www.
ican Dietetic Association was founded. pations. When the International Labour eatright.org/NNM/content.aspx?id¼5189#.
The dietitian’s role continued to ex- Office confirmed the dietetic pro- VJMrkV4DA. Accessed December 18, 2015.
pand into a wide variety of job oppor- fession’s classification in 1967, it also
tunities in social service organizations adopted the spelling dietitian at the Related Resources
and institutions, child care programs, request of the international dietetic The Academy’s History Journal Collection
and as cafeteria managers in clubs, community.3 Still to this day some Accessed December 18, 2014 http://www.and
jrnl.org/content/amh
hotels, and schools. A new title arose dictionaries list dietician as an accepted
alternate, but, as noted, the official National Nutrition Month 2015 is “Bite into a
Healthy Lifestyle” Accessed December 18, 2014
spelling dating back to 1930 still www.eatright.org/nnm
This article was written by Wendy stands.
Marcason, RDN, of the Academy of Confusion continued regarding the
Nutrition and Dietetics’ Knowledge
Center Team, Chicago, IL. Academy role of the dietitian and nutritionist.
members can contact the Knowledge In 2010, the Academy of Nutrition
Center by sending an e-mail to and Dietetics began exploring the op-
knowledge@eatright.org. tion of offering the registered dietitian
nutritionist (RDN) credential. The
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jand.2014.12.024
2013 joint meeting of the major
484 JOURNAL OF THE ACADEMY OF NUTRITION AND DIETETICS ª 2015 by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

Die Titan Dietician Nutritionist Article 2

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Die Titan Dietician Nutritionist Article 2

Uploaded by

Document Information

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Die Titan Dietician Nutritionist Article 2

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

FROM THE ACADEMY

Question of the Month

Dietitian, Dietician, or Nutritionist?

You might also like

Pfad - The Proxy pFad of © 2024 Garber Painting. All rights reserved.