Nutritionists or dietitians integrate and apply principles derived from nutrition, biochemistry, physiology, food management, and behavioral and social sciences to achieve and maintain people's health.
The role of nutritionists/dietitians in human health is part of a holistic approach to prevention and treatment of diseases and maintaining a lifestyle and well-being. Nutritionists or dietitians integrate and apply principles derived from human nutrition, biochemistry, physiology, food management, and behavioral and social sciences to achieve and maintain human health.
The requirements to become a certified nutritionist/dietitian may vary from State to State. For example, in New York State to become certified nutritionist/dietitian one needs to have bachelors degree with six months experience or associate degree with 8 years experience.
In other States such as Connecticut, dietitian/nutritionist certification procedure is as follows: (1) the applicant has to be certified as a registered dietitian by the Commission on Dietetic Registration, or (2) such applicant has (A) successfully passed a written examination prescribed by the commissioner, and (B) received a master's degree or doctoral degree, from an institution of higher education accredited to grant such degree by a regional accrediting agency recognized by the United States Department of Education, with a major course of study which focused primarily on human nutrition or dietetics and which included a minimum of thirty graduate semester credits, twenty-one of which shall be in not fewer than five of the following content areas: (i) Human nutrition or nutrition in the life cycle, (ii) nutrition biochemistry, (iii) nutrition assessment, (iv) food composition or food science, (v) health education or nutrition counseling, (vi) nutrition in health and disease, and (vii) community nutrition or public health nutrition.
To become a certified/registered nutritionist or dietitian, you may ask the following:
Certification Board For Nutrition Specialists (CBNS)
Att: Pearl Small, CBNS Coordinator
300 S. Duncan Ave. Suite 225
Clearwater, Florida 33755
Phone : (727) 446 - 6086
FAX: (727) 446-6202
E-mail to:
Below are certified nutritionists:
ALan Sugar, C.N.
Certified Nutritionist
Phone:(703) 566-9682
Fax: (703) 566-9812
E-mail:
Shelley Tarbell, CN
Certified Nutritionist
2709 Genesee St.
Utica, NY 13501
315-527-8445
Kim Dalzell, PhD, RD, LD
clinical oncology nutritionist
Program Director, Holistic Nutrition Services,
Holistic Nutrition Services program at Cancer Resource Center
Cancer Treatment Centers of America
Midwestern Regional Medical Center
2520 Elisha Avenue
Zion, IL 60099
Here are some schools that offer classes/courses needed to become a nutritionist or dietitian.
Colorado State University
Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition
234 Gifford Building
Fort Collins, Colorado 80523-1571
Phone: (970) 491 3663
Fax: (970) 491 3875
Institute for Integrative Nutrition
3 East 28th Street, 12th Floor
New York, New York 10016
Phone: 212 730 5433
Institute for Integrative Nutrition provides a fully integrative/holistic approach to health education that emphasizes the personal, social and political contexts of diet, nutrition and well-being.
You can find more schools with general nutrition research and degree programs in the following links:
Nutrition Schools
Nutritionist/Dietitian Schools
For colleges specializing in holisitc nutrition (bachelor's and master's) degree programs, find them here:
Holistic Nutritionist Programs.
Education: Natural health Schools