Do you want to lose weight, eat healthier or find better eating habits? You can consult a dietitian. What is the difference with a nutritionist? What is the price of a consultation?
Definition: what is a dietitian?
The dietician is a nutrition professional working in the paramedical sector. The dietitian is a health professional recognized by articles 7 and 8 of the order of August 26, 2005. He holds an ADELI number, issued by the Haute Autorité de Santé. “This allows you to know to whom you entrust your health and to protect you from professions with short and unrecognized training courses which are nevertheless well established…“explains Anne-Caroline Fleury, dietician-nutritionist. “Moreover, the illegal exercise of the profession of dietician, that is to say providing nutritional advice without having the skills, is punished by one year’s imprisonment and a fine of 15,000 euros : The use without right of the quality of dietitian is punished as the offense of usurpation of title provided for in article 433-17 of the Penal Code“, specifies our interlocutor.
What is the role of a dietitian?
Its mission is both preventive and curative: its objective is to prevent diseases, overweight and all the inconveniences associated with poor diet. The dietitian relies on texts such as the National Health Nutrition Program (PNNS). The dietitian provides his advice to patients and define with them appropriate eating behavior to their issues. His mission may differ somewhat depending on where he works: hospital, clinic, care establishments, private practice, EPHAD (reception of dependent elderly people), school group, etc.
What is the difference between a nutritionist and a dietician?
The term nutritionist applies to physicians who have followed additional training in nutrition while dietitians are not doctors. Nutritionists are the only ones with the right to prescribe and their consultations are reimbursed by Social Security. “The term “nutritionist” alone has, just like nutrition coach, or nutri-expert, no value: This represents a real danger because without solid training one does not correctly master the basics of health and can lead to real aberrations “, precise Anne-Caroline Fleury.
When to see a dietitian?
Your GP can refer you to a dietitian with specific care instructions, but you can decide to consult him on your own initiative. It is important to know that you can get help if you gain weight and suffer from it, but also if you lose weight without wanting to, if you feel excessively tired apart from any illness because this may be a sign of deficiencies or that the simple fact of eating causes pain or disorders (abdominal pain, intestinal pain, painful acid reflux, persistent diarrhea and/or constipation ). A number of situations may prompt you to consult a dietitian:
- When we are jock and according to its objectives: performance, muscle gain, weight loss
- When we are vegetarian or vegan because, badly carried out, these diets can cause deficiencies
- When we are diabeticto reduce medication intake and reduce blood sugar
- When we suffer from eating disorders (anorexia, bulimia, …) in parallel with a psychological follow-up
- When we take some treatments which can have an influence on weight (cortisone, hormone therapy, etc.)
- After one bariatric surgery to check or adapt the nutritional profile
- When being treated for a cancer ; the treatments induce changes in appetite, taste, sometimes cause disorders that dietetics can alleviate or even prevent.
- When we suffer from dyslipidemia
- The women pregnant
- THE seniors and people with cancer prone to undernutrition and sarcopenia.
What studies to become a dietitian?
Studies in dietetics consist of a BTS or a DUT (most often after a science baccalaureate or after upgrading in this field) in two years where you learn the physiology, physiopathology, human sciences, biology, microbiology-bacteriology, knowledge of food, culinary techniques and the implementation of diets adapted to all pathologies. The dietician can then follow additional training to provide therapeutic education, conduct motivational interviews, and improve in certain pathologies. Anne-Caroline Fleury recalls that “THE “diplomas” of micronutritionist, chrononutritionist, bionutritionist, etc. are not recognized.”
What are the fees for a dietitian?
The cost of consulting a dietitian depends on location and notoriety of the practitioner and not of an established scale. Some sites offer consultations by phone or Skype, always with qualified practitioners: the prices are often lower.
Is the dietitian reimbursed?
Dietary consultations are not reimbursed by Social Security except in very special cases and upon request for prior agreement. They are, on the other hand, taken care of by mutual insurance companies according to variable conditions.
Who to see for a food rebalancing?
“As a general rule, and contrary to popular belief, explains Anne-Caroline Fleury, “dieticians do not give diets, they help to carry out corrections, we call it a food rebalancing.” She clarifies: “My goal is for my patients to become independent and understand the basics of healthy eating in order to be able, alone, in the long term, to be actors of their health. The interest of the training of the dietician is to enable him to adapt to the pathologies and the objectives of the patients. “Not everyone consults for losing weight, recalls Anne-Caroline Fleury: “we can, by modifying the diet, reduce or eliminate certain pathologies, certain symptoms such as functional colopathy which can really be improved by low consumption of certain foods, better known as low FODMAP“.
Thanks to Anne-Caroline Fleury-Miossec, dietitian-nutritionist.