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Overview of Food and Nutrition
The most common jobs in food and nutrition are nutritionist and dietitian. They advise people on the best kinds of food to eat to suit their lifestyle or to treat conditions like diabetes and heart disease.
Dietitians need to learn about the science of human nutrition to do their job, and the most straightforward way to do that is to study a Bachelor of nutrition or dietetics. |
Studying Food and Nutrition
There are two ways to become an Accredited Practicing Dietitian.
You can study an undergraduate nutrition course, which takes about four years to complete.
Otherwise, you can do a Bachelor of Science (or another approved degree) followed by a postgraduate nutrition degree, which takes one or two years.
The courses cover nutrition and biomedical science, and the impact of diet on health and disease.
Whichever route you choose, make sure the course is approved by the Dietitians Association of Australia.
Careers in Food and Nutrition
The terms dietitian and nutritionist have similar meanings, but a dietitian is qualified and accredited, while a nutritionist may not have done the necessary studies.
Dietitians advise people and groups on nutrition issues, as well as modify diets to treat conditions like diabetes, heart and renal disease, gastro-intestinal diseases and allergies.
A popular specialisation in food and nutrition is a sports dietitian, who works with sports people, coaches and teams to formulate the best diet for strenuous exercise and optimal performance.
Dietitians can also specialise to a particular age group.
The Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations expects jobs to grow strongly until at least 2015, and says dietitians earn $1412 a week on average.
Skills needed in Food and Nutrition
People working in food and nutrition need a strong knowledge of English, biology and chemistry, as well as possess analytical skills.
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