As part of National Nutrition Month, Wednesday is celebrated as Registered Dietitian Nutritionist Day by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

Registered Dietitian Nutritionists (RDNs) are the most valuable and credible source of scientific-based food and nutrition information. The academy is the worlds largest organization of food and nutrition professionals, with more than 100,000 credentialed practitioners.

As the nations food and nutrition experts, RDNs are committed to improving the health of individuals, organizations and communities. They translate the science of nutrition into daily approaches for healthy eating.

RDNs have degrees in nutrition, dietetics, public health or a related field from accredited colleges and universities. In addition, the individual must complete a dietetic internship that is approved by the academy and pass a national examination.

Once they have obtained national credentials, they are required to stay up to date with the ever changing science of nutrition with continuing education. Many states have licensure for nutritionists. State licensure and national registration help to protect the public from misinformation and unsound nutrition advice offered by nonlicensed professionals.

An advantage of being an RDN is that you can move through different workplace settings throughout your career. In my 30-year career, I have worked in clinical, public health, senior living, higher education, private practice, media and research. I

n my current position as extension educator, I am able to incorporate several different experiences from teaching, providing food demonstrations, advising dietetic interns, working with media, working with schools, and participating in research projects. There are a variety of workplace settings for RDNs including hospitals, medical centers, schools, supermarkets, private businesses, fitness centers, food industry, universities and private practice.

The majority of registered dietitian nutritionists work in the treatment and prevention of disease. It varies from providing medical nutrition therapy as a member of the health care team in the medical setting to teaching, monitoring and advising the public on promoting healthy lifestyles in community and public health settings. You may also find them in schools providing education for teachers and students, creating and revising wellness policies and helping to create healthy menus.

Some RDNs also have degrees in exercise science or culinary arts, which complements their dietetic expertise. Organizations recognize the value of employing RDNs, such as professional sports teams employing a sports nutritionist and supermarkets employing dietitians to provide in-store nutrition counseling, lead store tours and answer customers dietary questions.

Integrative and functional medicine is an expanded approach to health, centering on a holistic approach to wellness. Many RDNs work with this integrative medicine model focusing on whole foods, recognizing the connection between the mind and body, and providing a personalized approach to nutrition, health and healing.

Regardless of the workplace, RDNs use their expertise to help individuals make positive lifestyle changes to improve their quality of life. If you are looking for a dietitian for personalized nutrition information, go to http://www.eatright.org/find-an-expert.

Lisa McCoy is a family and consumer-sciences educator with University of Maryland Extension in Washington County.

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What is a registered dietitian? - Herald-Mail Media