Dietician

Responsibilities

Depending on your area of work, you'll typically need to:

• create, deliver and evaluate a range of practical and educational food-based initiatives to encourage healthy lifestyle changes

• support individuals, communities and workforces to make positive, practical changes to their food choices and general health

• advise sports professionals on how diet can optimise their performance, enhance recovery from injury and achieve optimum body size and build for their sport

• deliver presentations and workshops on areas such as health education/promotion, behavioural and lifestyle change, weight management and eating for performance

• provide nutritional information for food production and help to secure approval for health claims on packaging

• develop and analyse menus, e.g. for school meals, sports teams on tour, residential care settings and workplace restaurants

• provide specialist advice on healthy eating to particular client groups, such as maternal, infant or elderly, and work in specific areas like bone health and salt or sugar reduction

• promote nutritional advice via the press, website content, e-learning tutorials and webinars, seminars, audio and video podcasts and social media

• review literature and undertake market research and product surveys

• write reports and publish papers

• conduct dietary surveys, food research and clinical trials to develop and enhance the evidence base

• advocate change, and lead on and write policy.

Skills

You'll need:

• an aptitude for science

• good communication skills including verbal, presentation and written

• passion, enthusiasm and empathy

• the ability to encourage and motivate others

• effective teamworking skills

• the capability to multitask and work independently

• time management skills

• proficiency in data research, evaluation and reporting

• self-motivation and a good head for business, particularly if setting up your own consultancy

• commitment to continuing professional development (CPD).