Wanted - Dietician / Nutritionist (Lounged)

[Strawbs]

Hey there,

Anyone know of a good dietician or nutritionist in ED? I need someone who isnt NHS i.e. so I can go outside of Monday to Friday 9 - 5..

thanks

J

[jim_the_chin]

Hi Strawbs,

EDIT:

I had recommended someone but I've taken out their name as I feel the subsequent posts are damaging to her personally. A debate is fine but not when a person has been named and is not around to defend themselves.

[bawdy-nan]

Watch out:

nutritionists are different to nutritional therapists different again to dieticians

dieticians have a lot of training and are regulated within the medical profession

nutritionists tend to work in an education capacity and have a voluntary register which requires a degree of proper training (involving at least some science) it can be checked here. they are not regulated

nutritional therapists are the ones who reckon they can cure conditions like MS and can set themselves up after a short correspondence course. They are unregulated and one of them recently had to pay out ?810000 to a woman left with brain damage after following her instructions to drink lots of water, even when she was fitting as a result of excessive intake of water.

In my opnion its total bunkum and they often prey on people's vulnerabilities, using pseudo-scientific jargon based on no evidence.

Of course, people will say they have had an effect and improved their life /condition. I don't doubt their sincerity but I would say that these people are often ill-qulaified to offer medical advice and can do harm unlike some of the other "alternative" therapies.

I have been asked to amend my post. I don't know the person recommended and know of no reason why she should be avoided in particular.

EDITED: to remove link to named nutritional therapist,

I absolutely stand by my comments on nutritional therapists. They are unregulated and do not have to be medically trained to practice. I would say absolutely beware.

It is of course true that regulated practitioners, like GPs, can also be guilty of malpractice, the difference is when they are they are not allowed to continue practising.

As I said I don't doubt that some people will genuinely feel they have benefitted from their services.

In my opnion, and I accept this may not be the opinion of everyone, its snake-oil.

I'd suggest that if someone has a problem that they suspect might be nutritional they should first see their GP.

[Pickle]

I have to agree with you Bawdy-nan.

A few years ago I did one of the correspondence courses (purely for interest's sake, with no intention of ever making a career out of it) and was amazed that the college concerned felt that people studying that particular course would be capable of advising people after completing it. It did make me wonder just how many people out there are advising members of the public in a "professional" capacity having done a crash course in nutrition. Scary.

Don't get me wrong, it was an interesting course, met my needs perfectly - but far too basic to be considered an adequate grounding for someone then going on to use it as a basis for a career.

It's definitely worth being very careful, make sure you see someone with a "proper" qualification.

[Pugwash]

There are many dietitians that work for NHS in GPs surgeries who can sometimes do non 9 - 5 hours. Check with your GP and they may have a contact. I do know a dietitian who works this way and does consultancy work as well.

[monica]

Bawdy I agree with you, but to an extent, as a trained Nutritional Therapist who trained to a degree level ,with three years of science including Biochemistry, physiology, pathophysiology, pharmacology, i have to say for the majority of us we are trained to a professional level otherwise we would not be allowed to practice, I can understand certain arguments, however we are going through voluntary regulation, and if you go on to the BANT website (british association of Nutritional therapists), it will explain all about regulation and how qualified you need to be to practice. Distance learning colleges and once a month colleges are frowned upon within the the industry anyway, I always recommend university based training

The NTC (nutritional therapy council) have a register listing all qualified therapists, the training and qualifications are scrutinised. There will always be cases of people having a bad experience because the therapist did not have adequate training, equally though this also happens in the medical profession.

Too who is looking for a nutritional therapist, look at the bant website

[Jamma]

Or why not bother taking the risk with a nutritionist and just go to a dietician since they are medical professionals while nutritionists expound some, er, interesting science.

[monica]

Jamma do your homework first please before you expound err rubbish, Dieticians are not medically trained, they have a 3 year course like the nutritionists, the difference is that Dieticians are bound to the NHS guidelines. Nutritionists train with Doctors in universities. I cannot understand why certain forumites feel they need to rubbish us and assume we follow a certain science when we do not, we follow the science all professionals follow.

[bawdy-nan]

Hi Monica

I'm aware of the BANT registration process with CNCH as I understand it.

I'm not entirely convinced by the process (though obviously, its still being developed): voluntary registration along criteria decided by the nutritional therapists, a code of ethics unavailable for public view and a set of practice criteria (not sure if this is the right phrasing) lifted from the dieticians. I;m not convonced it will be rigorously enforced (there seems to be quite a lot of wobble room) and in any case there's no "striking someone off" when a register is voluntary.

Trying to decipher just what the letters after the name mean is very very tricky (in all cases).

I have come across some very sane seeming, thoroughly careful and seemingly well-trained people who are nutritional therapists and I absolutely acknowledge that some of the training available can be very thorough. These are the ones who would not stray outside their spheres of knowledge or expertise.

I think the very big problem is that anyone can call themselves a nutritionist or nutritional therapist.

I have also come across a number of cases where the health advice given out by NT's has been downright dangerous, utterly unscientific.

I'm not a total CM refusnik and do, I think, have an open mind and have used arange of "alternative therapies". I just bristle at some of the claims made by this particular group and at the exploitation of people at their most vulnerable.

Best wishes

BN

[monica]

Hy BN

I agree with what you say, that is why we are going through voluntary regulation, there are colleges and courses that are very unscientific and frowned up by main stream universities. The register will only acknowledge qualifications that are approved by the NTC. I know letters after the name can be confusing but if in doubt please ask the practitioner.

The registry will only acknowledge qualifications that have had at least 2 years of science, and 500 hours of supervised clinic.

I am about to embark on my Msc in Nutrition, I have a degree in Nutrition and after 1000 hours of clinic, pre and post qualification I am about to do another 500 hours, my tutors are a doctor and a professor. I know not all Nutritional Therapists are trained to this level, however the Register is there to protect the public

[Jamma]

Bound to NHS guidelines makes them medical professionals in my book. Why don't all the 'good' nutritionists just go pro and become dieticians? Then they wouldn't have to worry about being tainted by the stain of Gillian McKeith would they?

As I said, with nutritionists there's a risk you're going to get a nutter. With dieticians that risk is minimal.

[monica]

Jamma i think we will agree to disagree, you clearly have issues with complementary health, Dieticians will not admit to being medically trained, because they are not, so please get your facts straight.

[Jamma]

Of course I have 'issues' with 'complementary health'. It's a load of old cobblers. Fact.

And when people start believing in hocus pocus bad things happen so I'll fight it at every turn.

I'm happy to agree to disagree, you're entitled to your opinion, I'm entitled to mine. It's just that mine is right and yours is wrong.

[lozzyloz]

An opinion is only an opinion.

[Peckhamgatecrasher]

Well that's your opinion Lozzyloz, but I'm not sure you're right.

[lozzyloz]

Well that's your opinion

[Asset]

but what about my opinion?

[lozzyloz]

Yours only matters if you already think it's wrong

[NatashaD]

Ithink Jamma is being very rude to Monica.

[Fuschia]

NatashaD Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Ithink Jamma is being very rude to Monica.

I agree.

[desoizal]

hi Strawbs, what do you need a nutritionist, dietician for?

[monica]

Jamma You are very entitled to your opinion, but does that give you an excuse to be so rude about it!!! I am not very wrong we all have our schools of thought and if you do not like it, then fine but please do not be so rude, this started as a request for a dietician/Nutritionist and its turned into a free for all to put down complementary health yet again. Although Nutrition is classed in Public Health.

[Jamma]

I'm not being rude, I'm being sensible. If you held the opinion that when no-one is looking all the trees get up and dance around I'd be entitled to question it and mock it. 'Complementary health' is equally as silly.

[Strawbs]

desoizal Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> hi Strawbs, what do you need a nutritionist,

> dietician for?

Hey there

TBH I didnt really want to post in here because it all got a little hectic.. I wanted a dietician / nutritionist (admittedly I dont really know the difference) for weight management. I have a condition called exercise stimulated anaphylaxis which in a nutshell I have the same anaphylactic reaction to exercise that people do to nuts so it makes it quite difficult. I can do some i.e. cycle indoors on an exercise bike but it cant be too hard core blah blah blah..

I am a vegetarian (almost vegan so no cheese, egg, chocolate) which has been a major lifestyle change for the last 8 months and it hasnt made a scrap of difference... The Docs have checked my thyroid etc and its fine so I was just asking so that someone could take a look at my food journal that I have kept for the last week and for them to make any suggestions etc etc..

thanks to everyone who responded but any chance I can have my thread back? Regardless of people's opinions on each of the difference professions I just wanted to know if anyone had a rec of someone I could go and see..

[newcomer]

Hi Strawbs, I've sent you a PM recommendation of a nutritionist that I used (she was fab), although she's not based in ED.