There are a lot of misconceptions out there about dietitians. One is that we are all tightly-wound, skinny perfectionists, another is that our sole purpose in life is to take pleasure away from people and replace it with lettuce…. The truth is, we are real people, just like you, with our own life struggles and unique life experiences, diverse body shapes and sizes and wide-ranging flavour preferences. Many dietitians are drawn to this field because of their own eating issues, many have had eating disorders, have food allergies or intolerances or have had moving life experiences in which they have realized the incredible power that food and our interactions with it (physically, emotionally) can have on our lives and our health.
We love PEOPLE, FOOD and SCIENCE. We could not be in this profession if we could not accommodate humanity in its full spectrum, and appreciate the unique qualities of our clients. The range of people who visit a dietitian is huge, from the teenager in total denial of their blossoming eating disorder dragged in by their parents, or the young adult trapped in the storm of theirs, through to people undergoing the terrifying journey of chemotherapy. From the tough truckie recovering from his massive heart attack to the ladies during their first pregnancies paranoid about the possible outcomes of every bite they take. From little old ladies who refuse to believe that they need more to eat than tea, toast and soup to heal their hip replacement to the middle aged yo-yo dieter who arrives at your office for the first time so nervous that she bursts into tears as soon as the door is closed. Everyone’s emotional needs are different just as everyone’s nutrient and metabolic requirements are different. Compassion and kindness are core values for dietitians.
Food is one of life’s great pleasures, and we love it too. To be a dietitian without being a foodie would be like a birthday without birthday cake. A fantastic aspect of this job is that we get to enjoy food for professional development!
Rather than being perfectionists, we are diligent scientists, keeping up with the latest research so that we are ready when you ask the questions, or if we see risks in your lifestyle that you may not be aware of. Restrictive diets are a thing of the past, now correlated strongly with binge eating and weight gain. Dietitians are recognised professionals with the qualifications and skills to provide expert nutrition and dietary advice tailored specifically for you, with long term sustainability and flexibility in mind.
So if you’ve been…..
· asking your friends for diet tips
· worried that you’ll have a heart attack like your mum did
· getting caught up in ‘fat talk’ at the office
· pouring over old Weight Watchers magazines for magic answers and ’ínspiration’
· suffering with painful or embarrassing tummy troubles
· smashing yourself at the gym to no avail
· nodding obediently time and time again when your GP has suggested you see a dietitian
………please don’t be scared – we are friendly, well-educated, enthusiastic and realistic people J
See the Dietitians Association of Australia website (www.daa.asn.au) for an Accredited Practising Dietitian near you, or contact NutritionSense Dietitians (www.nutritionsense.com.au) – we’d love to see you soon!
Happy Eating!
Fiona xx
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