Trust a Registered Nutritionist

The NSA has established a Register of Nutritionists to recognise and encourage high standards of professional training in nutrition.  Individuals with relevant qualifications, as determined by an experienced committee of senior nutrition scientists from the NSA, can now seek validation of the credentials to be placed on this Register.

This is an exciting development that recognises nutritionists with designated qualifications, who abide by the highest standards of professional conduct and the NSA Code of Ethics, and who are committed to on-going training and professional development.

Ultimately, this initiative will ensure Australians can have confidence in dealing with “registered nutritionists” whose credentials have been validated by the NSA.

The NSA is dedicated to:

• promoting safe, sound and effective research and practice in nutrition for the benefit of the public and industry; and
• effectively communicating the effects of good nutrition to help people make healthy choices.

Modern professional bodies, particularly those in the health sector, are increasingly required to demonstrate rigorous oversight of their disciplines.

Growing public interest in the relationship between diet and health is evident in constant and widespread media attention to the issue and, as a result, increasing demands from the public for reliable and trustworthy information.

To date, there has been no regulation or control over people who call themselves nutritionists.  Many of these people work outside of the health sector, including the media, the food industry, sport and recreation, community development and education.

The NSA has legitimate concerns that there are untrained, or minimally trained individuals portraying themselves as nutritionists.  Furthermore, commercial interests promoting dietary therapies can generate misleading information about the benefits of particular foods.  As a result, there is a risk of poor nutritional advice to the public..

While knowledge and skills in nutrition are prerequisites for any practising nutritionist, most professionals in this field also require additional training and development relating to their specific area of expertise.

A system of statutory and credible voluntary registration and accreditation for professionals in the field of nutrition is an important way of protecting clients and the wider public.

Registration by self-regulation

The NSA has widely researched the registration process of other health professional bodies in Australia and overseas to determine the most appropriate means to establish a Register of Nutritionists.  Of particular relevance is the following statement in the Code of Ethics of the Nutrition Society of the United Kingdom: “The purpose of the Register is to establish a list of appropriately qualified persons, and in doing so, to distinguish individuals who have received an approved level of training and experience from others who have not.” 

Based on its detailed examination of government regulation of health agencies and the practice of regulation by professional organisations, the NSA has determined that self-regulation is the most appropriate and accountable system of accreditation. 

Registration:

• assists in recognition of the professionalism of nutritionist services for consumers, health agencies and government bodies;
• underlines the strength and unity of the NSA in its dealings with governments regarding public nutrition policy development and implementation; and
• through on-going competency requirements help to raise the efficiency and efficacy of professional nutrition services.