What does a dietitian do?

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The biggest misconception of what a dietitian does is that we only see people who need to lose weight. For some dietitians this is true but for others, it may be the complete opposite and they may be supporting people who need to gain weight.

In the field of nutrition there are a number of different roles alongside dietitians such as nutritionists and nutritional therapists, but what’s the difference?

What are dietitians, nutritionists and nutritional therapists?

Registered Dietitians (RDs) are the only qualified health professionals that assess, diagnose and treat dietary and nutritional problems at an individual and wider public health level. They work with both healthy and sick people. They working in a variety of settings including the NHS, the food/medical industry, education and private practice.

Dietitians are the only nutrition professionals to be regulated by law, and are governed by an ethical code to ensure that they always work to the highest standard. Dietitians are regulated by the Healthcare and Professional Council (HCPC). Registered professionals must keep up-to-date through compulsory Continuing Professional Development (CPD). See my blog post here about CPD.

The following qualifications are required: Minimum requirement is a BSc Hons in Dietetics, or a related science degree with a postgraduate diploma or higher degree in Dietetics.

The British Dietetic Association is the professional body and Trade Union for dietitians and is also responsible for designing the curriculum for the profession. For further information, you can visit the BDA website here.

Nutritionists provide evidence-based information and guidance about the impacts of food and nutrition on health and wellbeing, at an individual or population level. They work in a variety of sectors including the food industry, education and public health.

Unlike dietitians, the title nutritionist is not protected so anyone can call themselves a nutritionist, however only registrants with the UK Voluntary Register of Nutritionists (UKVRN) can call themselves a Registered Nutritionist (RNutrs). To check the register, please visit here.

In order to be on the voluntary register as a Registered Nutritionist, they must have completed a nutrition course that is accredited by the Association for Nutrition (AfN).

Registered nutritionists are also expected to keep up-to-date through Continuing Professional Development (CPD).

Nutritional Therapists provide recommendations for diet and lifestyle in order to alleviate or prevent illness and use complementary medicine.

They are not regulated by law and some training is offered by the Institute of Optimum Nutrition.

Nutritional therapists provide private consultations. However, they use treatments such as high dose vitamins, detox, and food avoidance for which there is little robust scientific evidence.

My role as a freelance dietitian

As a UK registered dietitian with over 10 year experience I offer freelance services as a nutrition consultant to the food and medical nutrition industry, health writing and as a private dietitian for 1-1 consultations.

If you are looking for a private dietitian to help you with making dietary changes, I can help. I have experience in a broad range of medical conditions where diet can play a key role.

If you want to lose weight, I can help!

This blog post on behaviour change may be useful to help you understand how to overcome barriers to losing weight

If you want to gain weight, I can help!

You can read my blog post on treating malnutrition here

If you want to improve your gut health, I can help!

You can read my blog post on gut health and pre and probiotics here

If you want to manage your IBS symptoms, I can help!

You can read my blog post on IBS and diet here

If you have pre-diabetes/diabetes and want to look at making dietary changes, I can help!

How to say I WANT to change my diet rather than I SHOULD change my diet?

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Have you ever wondered why you can’t make the dietary changes that you set yourself stick? Are you not able to create new habits that are long lasting? Do you find it difficult to make a long lasting change to your diet?

If you answered YES to all these questions and are thinking “this is me, why?”, I’m here to help explain why sometimes making changes to our diet can prove easier said than done.

Change comes about because we have chosen to make a change and are motivated to make it happen. More often that not, we believe we SHOULD make changes rather than WANTING too. This can lead to changes that are short lived or fail after a few weeks.

With regards to our diets, we are all aware of habits and food choices that are beneficial to health. Somehow though, implementing these habits and food choices into our diets can be difficult. One reason for this can be put down to behaviour change and where we are in the cycle of change.

What is behaviour change?

Behaviour change can be simply described as a 5 step cycle:

We can simply define each stage as the following:

Pre-contemplation: at the this stage there is no intention to change behaviour in the foreseeable future

Contemplation: aware that a problem exists but have not committed to taking action yet

Preparation: information gathering and planning stage

Action: modification of behaviour to overcome problems

Maintenance: prevention of relapse

Depending where you are on this cycle will determine the action you will or will not take to make change.

The action stage will arise when you are ready to commit to active modification of behaviour to achieve the desired change. In a weight loss example, the action stage may arise as a result of active engagement with a dietitian and setting clear, defined and agreed goals to deliver the change. The difference here to making changes when you are in the pre-contemplation stage are that you are MOTIVATED to make the change and are driving the change rather than being instructed by someone else.

Relapse can occur during any stage of the behaviour change cycle and it is important that the cause of the relapse is identified so that the commitment to change can be re-established.

Motivation to change arises when you know what problems are caused by a particular behaviour and you are concerned about these problems. In addition to this, self esteem and competence are also important to allow change to happen.

How do dietitians use behaviour change techniques in their practice?

The role of the dietitian is to translate scientific and medical knowledge relating to food and health into everyday language by educating and giving practical, personalised advice to clients, patients, carers and colleagues. Nutrition education does not focus purely on what change to make but how to help people make behavioural changes.

Dietitians use behaviour change techniques in their practice to support individuals under their care to make the necessary and desired changes beneficial to health. As healthcare professionals understanding the importance of behaviour change and being able to identify where a person is in the cycle of change is so beneficial to providing patient centred care and supporting dietary change. Success of dietary changes is the result of the dietitian and patient working together to identify the reason for change, the motivation for change and to agree realistic goals that can result in behaviour change. However, the behaviour change journey does not end here. Following the action stage it is important that the maintenance stage is not overlooked. The maintenance stage is taking into account how the behaviour change will be sustained.

Setting behavioural goals is key to achieving a successful outcome. This is where the dietitian and client will work in collaboration to set SMART goals. The acronym SMART is defined as:

Specific e.g. I will reduce the amount of sugar I take in my hot drinks

Measurable e.g. I will reduced the number of sugars in my hot drinks from 1 to none

Achievable. Setting realistic and achievable goals is key to success and this may mean a gradual approach e.g. reduce the number of sugars in hot drinks gradually to allow for the adjustment to taste

Relevant to the goal of treatment i.e. I want to reduce my sugar intake as I’m pre-diabetic

Time specific i.e. defining and agreeing a time frame for the goal

Several behaviour change goals may be set depending on the overall goal of nutritional treatment. These smaller, specific goals can help with motivation and personal sense of achievement.

What next?

If you have decided you want to make some dietary changes and want the support of a dietitian, I offer 1-1 online video consultations. Please contact me here to arrange a free 15 minute call to discuss how I could help you.

Treating malnutrition

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This is the 2nd blog post in support of Malnutrition Awareness Week 2020 and aims to provide more information about the treatment of malnutrition and some practical tips to follow if you or a loved one is experiencing malnutrition.

As we get older there can be the expectation that losing weight is normal and part of the ageing process. This is not true. Any unintentional weight loss should be taken seriously.

It is not uncommon for our appetites to change as we get older therefore it is important to manage these changes so that it does not result in an inadequate nutritional intake and unintentional weight loss.

10 tips that can help to address a small appetite

  1. Introduce small snacks in-between your meals such as cheese and crackers
  2. Choose higher fat containing foods such as full fat milk, butter, as these will provide more energy
  3. Add butter, cream or cheese to meals and sauces as this will increase the energy content without increasing the volume of food
  4. Have a nourishing drink before bed such as a hot chocolate made with full fat milk
  5. Have regular meals and snacks – aim for 6 small meals and snacks instead of 3 big meals a day
  6. Don’t forget about fluid – aim to have 6-8 drinks a day. This can include tea and coffee, glasses of milk and fruit juice.
  7. Avoid not eating at all, even if its only something small
  8. Don’t be afraid to ask for help with cooking and food shopping
  9. Tinned foods such as rice pudding or tinned fruit are useful staple cupboard foods
  10. If you continue to struggle with your appetite and are losing weight, please discuss with your GP or a healthcare professional

This advice is intended to provide general advice on treating malnutrition. If you are concerned about yourself or a loved one in regards to unintentional weight loss and changes in appetite, please speak with a healthcare professional.

Dietitians play a key role in the identification, management and treatment of malnutrition. Following specialist nutritional assessment, a tailored nutritional care plan will be provided. Ongoing monitoring of the care plan will ensure that the intervention is working and whether any adjustments to the plan are required. Dietitians will work with the wider multidisciplinary team to ensure implementation of the nutritional care plan.

I provide 1-1 online video consultations. Please click here if you would like to arrange a free call with me to see how I could help you.

Malnutrition Awareness Week 2020

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This week (5th-12th October 2020) is Malnutrition Awareness Week in the UK and is run by BAPEN (British Association for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition) and the Malnutrition Task Force.

Did you know that 1 in 10 people over the age of 65 are malnourished or at risk of malnutrition?

Let’s start at the beginning by explaining what we mean by malnutrition. Malnutrition is the inadequate intake of nutrition that results in negative effects on an individuals health and wellbeing. One of the most common signs of malnutrition is unintentional weight loss i.e. weight loss that occurs without any specific action being taken to result in this change.

Other signs and symptoms of malnutrition include:

  • loss of appetite
  • tiredness and fatigue
  • reduced ability to perform normal tasks
  • reduced physical performance – for example, not being able to walk as far or as fast as usual
  • altered mood – malnutrition can be associated with lethargy and depression
  • poor concentration

Some of these signs may be easy to spot but others may be less obvious to spot. Therefore, it is important we are aware of these signs and symptoms and how to detect changes that may increase someone risk’s of malnutrition.

Unintentional weight loss can occur gradually and sometimes be difficult to spot and recognise. However, these are some simple tips you can use to help recognise it, including:

  • dentures feeling loose or moving when talking/eating
  • jewellery i.e. rings and watches, feeling loose
  • clothes becoming loose

What are the consequences of malnutrition?

Malnutrition effects every part of the body therefore it can have serious effects on our body functions. It can slow down our recovery, increase our susceptibility to illness, increase complications and if left untreated, may lead to death.

  1. The immune system: our immune system becomes impaired during states of malnutrition which can lead to a loss of immune function. This results in increased susceptibility to illness and not being able to fight off infections.
  2. Muscle strength: in a state of malnutrition, loss of muscle strength and function is observed. This occurs due to an inadequate dietary intake of protein and energy and our body compensates by using the protein in our muscles as an alternative source of energy. Loss of muscle strength and function may result in an increased risk of falls, reduced ability to perform daily activities such as cooking, reduced ability to cough may predispose to chest infections, and heart failure.
  3. Wound healing: Optimal wound healing requires adequate nutrition. Malnutrition will delay, inhibit and complicate the wound healing process. Our protein needs in particular, increase during wound healing. Therefore, malnutrition coupled with not meeting these increased nutritional needs can have serious and detrimental effects to wound healing.

So what can we do to identify malnutrition?

1 in 10 people over the age of 65 are malnourished or at risk of malnutrition. Unintentional weight loss can be a sign of malnutrition, therefore self-screening in older people can be a useful tool to check that you are not losing too much weight.

Self-screening can take many forms but asking yourself or your loved ones the following questions can be a good starting point:

  1. Are you or your family concerned that you may be underweight or need nutritional advice?
  2. How you lost weight unintentionally in the last 3-6 months?
  3. Have you noticed that your clothes or rings have become loose recently?
  4. Have you recently found that you have lost your appetite and/or interest in eating?

If you answered YES to these questions, it is important that you discuss this with your GP.

Further information about self-screening and a range of different tools that can help have been produced by the Malnutrition Task Force, click here.

Identification of malnutrition or risk of malnutrition is key to ensuring appropriate action is taken. There may be simple changes that can be taken at home or you may require further support from a dietitian.

My next blog post will discuss how malnutrition is managed. However, if you are concerned about unintentional weight loss and loss of appetite, please discuss with a healthcare professional.

I provide 1-1 online video consultations for a range of different dietary needs. If you would to discuss how I can could help you, please click here.

Hydration in dysphagia management

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Dysphagia can can affect the ability to eat and drink and inability to maintain nutrition and hydration which can impact on health and quality of life. The role of the dietitian in dysphagia management is to ensure adequate nutrition and hydration.

Among those with dysphagia, the prevalence of dehydration ranges from 44% to 75% depending on the patient population, setting, and criteria used to define dehydration1

The importance of fluid

Fluid is important for our bodies as it plays many roles and is essential for life.

Fluid has many vital functions including:

  • regulation of body temperature
  • removal of waste materials from the body such as salts and urea
  • transports water soluble vitamins such as B vitamins

What is dehydration?

Dehydration occurs due to your body losing more fluid than you are taking in. It can result in the following:

  • constipation
  • kidney stones
  • falls
  • urinary tract infections
  • pressure sores
  • confusion
  • drowsiness

What are the signs of dehydration2?

  • feeling thirsty
  • dark yellow and strong-smelling pee
  • feeling dizzy or lightheaded
  • feeling tired
  • a dry mouth, lips and eyes
  • peeing little, and fewer than 4 times a day

Why is dehydration a complication of dysphagia?

Dehydration is commonly a problem in people with dysphagia for a number of reasons but is usually due to inadequate fluid intake. Thickened fluids which are usually recommended for people with dysphagia can play a role. Depending on the severity of the swallowing problems, there may be other reasons alongside using thickened fluids that may be contributing to a reduced fluid intake such as pain on swallowing fluids or requiring assistance from others with their drinks. Other factors independent of dysphagia may also be a feature, including:

  • loss of thirst sensation
  • unable to communicate needs
  • fear of incontinence
  • memory issues e.g. forgetting to drink

How can dehydration be managed in people with dysphagia?

  1. Choice of thickener
  2. Cognitive challenges
  3. Physical barriers

Choice of thickener

Thickened drinks are used to alter the flow rate of a liquid allowing more time for the person with dysphagia to swallow the drink safely. The level of thickened fluid required will be determined following a speech and language therapy assessment. Not only may the thickness of the drink change but the amount recommended may also be limited. As a dietitian both these factors are particularly important, especially if oral nutritional supplements are being considered.

It is important that the thickener chosen to alter the consistency of the drink to improve the safety of the drink for the person with dysphagia has the following features:

  • does not alter the taste of the drink to be thickened
  • does not alter the appearance of the drink to be thickened i.e. no change in colour or clarity of the drink
  • can be safely used across a variety of different drinks to increase patient choice

All of these features will aid improve compliance with thickened fluids. It is important to work with the person with dysphagia to implement a care plan that is person centred, whilst balancing risk of aspiration with quality of life.

Cognitive challenges

Communication difficulties that arise due to medical conditions that are common among people with dysphagia include stroke, dementia and brain injury. These communication challenges may make it difficult for the person with dysphagia to express the need for help with a drink, give a preference over drink choice or indicate they are thirsty.

Physical barriers

Dysphagia that has been diagnosed due to conditions such as stroke, brain injury and head and neck cancers, may also pose physical challenges. These include requiring assistance to drink, unable to prepare and serve their own drinks and changes to fluid thickness and volume. These factors may limit a persons overall fluid intake resulting in dehydration.

Overcoming all of these factors in dysphagia management to prevent dehydration are extremely important. Not only is it the responsibility of the dietitian and speech and language therapist to work together to address these challenges, the wider multidisciplinary team are essential. For example, in a care home environment, this responsibility will extend to all care home staff. Education is key alongside clear communication of care plans.

Summary

Management and treatment of dysphagia is multidisciplinary with both the speech therapist and dietitian working closely to reduce the complications of dysphagia such as malnutrition and dehydration. It is important that dehydration is detected early to minimise the risk of complications.

References

  1. Reber E, Gomes F, Dähn IA, Vasiloglou MF, Stanga Z. Management of Dehydration in Patients Suffering Swallowing Difficulties. J Clin Med. 2019;8(11):1923. Published 2019 Nov 8. doi:10.3390/jcm8111923
  2. https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/dehydration/