As people are becoming more health conscious, they have become reliant on dietary services to prevent or manage certain chronic diseases.
Dieticians have been credited with playing a significant role in society and the healthcare system by helping people prevent such diseases.
Omy Naidoo, founder of Newtricion Wellness Dieticians, said: “Dieticians contribute greatly to societies by helping people improve their health, nutrition, and general wellbeing. They are dedicated to ensuring that people live their healthiest lives.”
There is no doubt that dieticians are integral to society and play a greater role than most people realise. They promote healthy lifestyles by educating the general public about diet, nutrition, and good eating habits to help prevent or manage specific chronic diseases.
A SciELO study estimates that 27% of the population is obese, with South African women having the highest obesity rates worldwide, which makes dieticians crucial to preventing such chronic illnesses.
Obesity rates are growing not only among the adult population but also among children in South Africa, increasing the burden of chronic diseases for the future.
Reasons why dieticians are important:
- Run nutrition education programmes
Dieticians provide nutrition programmes to educate the public about healthy food choices and lifestyles. In some instances, they work with individuals in communities to improve their nutritional wellbeing, avoid nutrition-related diseases, promote food access, and improve personal health control.
- Help manage health conditions
Naidoo says diet forms a fundamental role in assisting in the management and treatment of many chronic conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, high cholesterol, and many others. As a result, dieticians play a significant role in helping people manage such conditions.
- Help improve your health
Dieticians have a significant impact on the lives of many people, as they are experts in understanding how the foods people eat affect their health. They plan and conduct nutritional programmes to help people improve their health through nutrition.
- Educate on healthier dietary choices
Dieticians educate the public on healthier eating habits and lifestyle choices. Furthermore, they review and monitor their patients’ nutrition plans and make necessary modifications to help them maintain their health and reduce their risk of developing chronic diseases.
- Assess health concerns
Dietitians are trained to assess patients’ nutritional needs, develop specific diet plans and provide nutritional counseling. In many cases, they prevent diet-related fatalities by improving people’s nutrition, health, and overall wellbeing. South Africa has an abundance of highly skilled dieticians both in the public and private sectors, the take-home message is to access a dietician as prevention is always better than a cure.
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