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Hi! My name is Stacey Oberst Peterson and I am a Registered Dietitian in the Greater Seattle region offering holistic nutrition counseling and education. Starting my practice is a dream-come-true for me, as I have always known I wanted to make my mark on society by helping people, and I feel this is the way I was meant to do it.
Nutrition is an absolutely fascinating area of study. One thing that makes nutrition so interesting is that it is so political. The fact is that food is big business, and an industry to which Americans spend hundreds of billions of dollars every year. An unfortunate reality is that money largely drives what foods we see on the grocery store shelves, not human health. A perfect example of politically correct nutrition is the situation involving trans fats. Most people are by now aware of the health concerns associated with eating foods containing trans fats. As a response to this awareness, the food industry has adjusted accordingly and now many products tout the statement "0 grams trans fat per serving". The truth is that most of these products still contain trans fats. The key is to look in the ingredients list . . .if it lists partially hydrogenated oil, there are trans fats. The labeling regulations stipulate that if a serving (e.g. 1 ounce of potato chips = about 11 chips) contains less than 0.50 grams, it can be called 0 grams. Who eats only 11 chips?!?!
Affiliations
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A Registered Dietitian is a professional with a minimum of a 4 year undergraduate degree and 900-hour dietetic internship. Following the internship is an "RD exam" which must be passed in order to earn and use the Registered Dietitian (RD) credential. Registered Dietitians are also required to keep up-to-date with what's new and happening in the nutrition world by earning Continuing Education credits through attending conferences and seminars, and taking courses, for example.
What is the difference between a Registered Dietitian (RD) and a nutritionist?
The American Dietetics Association defines a Registered Dietitian (RD) as "a food and nutrition expert who has met the minimum academic and professional requirements to qualify for the credential "RD."
As for a nutritionist, there is no legal definition for the term, so anyone can refer to himself or herself as such. A nutritionist may have varying levels of education, and may be someone with little more than a weekend nutrition workshop. A nutritionist may also be someone holding the equivalent of a master's degree in Physiology or Biology. Regardless, these individuals have not received the same specialized, formally accredited education and training as a Registered Dietitian.
Some RD's may refer to themselves as "nutritionists" because the public is likely to understand and recognize the term, but the credential to look for is the RD.
Do your research next time you are seeking nutritional advice. Make sure your nutritionist is a Registered Dietitian*.
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Education
Bachelor of Science,
Nutritional Science Major
University of British Columbia
Vancouver, B.C., Canada
2001
Master of Science, Nutrition
Bastyr University
Seattle, Washington
2003
Dietetic Internship
Bastyr University
Seattle, Washington
2004
RD Exam
Passed
Bellevue, Washington
2005
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Conferences & Workshops
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*Note that in the state of Washington, there is also the Certified Nutritionist credential that is issued by the State to individuals holding at least a Master of Science in Nutrition. | |