Career in Nutrition and Dietetics

What: Dietetics is the science and art of feeding individuals based on the principles of nutrition. It can also be said to be the “science and art of human nutritional care.” Diet therapy and its application in patient related settings is a major focus of dietetics. Thus, the field of dietetics can be related to: (a) nutrition care and intervention focused on the individual and (b) nutrition care and intervention focused on the group.

Diet plays a major role in promotion of health and well being of individual. A good and balanced diet habit improves the quality of life while poor diet may lead to morbidity and diseases. Nutritionists and dietetics are concerned with this aspect. While dietetics is related to food management, nutrition is related to promotion of health. Due to changes in food habits of most of the urban population, role of nutritionists and dieticians is becoming more important. They suggest corrective food habits considering various aspects of an individual such as age, work routine and sickness etc. and thereby improving their quality of life. They also educate their clients about preparation of food according to the principles of nutrition.

A fresher who has completed a course in Nutrition and Dietetics may draw anywhere between Rs. 10,000 to Rs. 20,000 in a standard hospital or nursing home of repute. When combined with a degree in hotel management, the salary levels could be between Rs 30,000 to Rs 55,000.

How: The role of dietician has come a long way since the early 1900s. Their role is still unknown to a lot of people. Some think that dieticians, as their name implies, only give out diets to make individuals lose weight, whereas this is a small part of their role. The dietician is the link between the patient and medical team or physician in assisting difficult decisions making about nutrition care. Asian Society of Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition (ASEAN) states that the dietician role in nutrition care has been recommended an adequate source and amount of balanced nutrients according to pre- established standards of care. A dilemma occurs when the   disease state of the patient confound the adequacy of nutritional support, which has resulted in the patient’s malnourishment.

A candidate should have passed 10+2 (PCB) and home science to be eligible for B.Sc. in nutrition and dietetics course. Some universities also offer postgraduate diploma courses in dietetics and nutrition. The candidate has to appear for entrance exam conducted by colleges. Besides B.Sc and M.Sc. there are also 4 years food technology courses after 10+2 in science stream. There is also 2 years Master and PG Diploma course in Dietician and Public Health Nutrition (DDPHN). Those with bachelor’s degree in science, home science, hotel management & catering technology, microbiology, biochemistry and medicine are eligible for PG or Diploma.

Where:  Hotels, cruise lines, hospitals, nursing homes and government health departments recruit nutrition and dietetics professionals for a good salary. If you join a shipping company such as Shell, Maersk or their subsidiary companies that run tourist ships along with logistics and oil et al., you would get the opportunity to travel to several countries situated along the shorelines.

Institutions: