Be an expert in nutrition

By Ranjan K Baruah

Diet and nutrition are important as well as a balanced diet is must for us. In recent years due to fast changes there has been a change in food habit among people. It is high time that we need to know what we are eating. One of the career options related to this is Nutrition and Dietetics.
Nutrition is the science that interprets the interaction of nutrients and other substances in food in relation to maintenance, growth, reproduction, health and disease of an organism. It includes food intake, absorption, assimilation, biosynthesis, catabolism and excretion.
The diet of an organism is what it eats, which is largely determined by the availability and palatability of foods. For humans, a healthy diet includes preparation of food and storage methods that preserve nutrients from oxidation, heat or leaching, and that reduces risk of food-borne illnesses.
A dietician is an expert on human nutrition and the regulation of diet. A dietician alters patient’s nutrition-based upon their medical condition and individual needs. Dieticians are regulated healthcare professionals licensed to assess, diagnose and treat nutritional problems.
A registered dietician or registered dietician nutritionist is a dietician who meets all of a set of special academic and professional requirements, including the completion of a bachelor’s degree with an accredited nutrition curriculum, an internship at an approved health-care facility, food service organisation, or community agency and satisfactory performance on a registration exam.
The dietician is the link between the patient and medical team or physician in assisting difficult decisions making about nutrition care.
List of Institutes of Nutrition and Dietetics in India — All India Institute of Hygiene and Public Health, Women’s University, University of Home Economics (Delhi University); Lady Irwin College, New Delhi; Osmania University-Hyderabad, University of Mumbai, Maharaja Syajiro University of Baroda, Vadodara; Maharana Pratap University of Agriculture and Technology, Udaipur; Acharya NG Ranga Agricultural University, Hyderabad; Christian Medical College, Vellore ; Sri Ramachandra and Research Institute (Deemed University), Chennai, Indira Gandhi National Open University.
Apart from regular courses there are distance courses available for the aspirants who are interested to take this area of study.
There are different job avenues or opportunity to be self-employed. Trained people may get different designation when they start into the profession. Some of the specialised areas in dietetics include Clinical Dietitians, Community Dietitians, Management Dietitians, Consultant Dietitians, etc. They may get job in government sector or in the private sectors.

Updates:

Siemens Scholarship Programme: Siemens Scholarship Program 2018-19 is an initiative of Siemens India to support 1st year engineering students from the stream/branches of Mechanical/Production, Electrical, Electronics/Instrumentation, Electronics and Telecommunication, Computers/Information Technology, Instrumentation. The scholarship is being offered by the Siemens India under their CSR initiative. Siemens Scholars who have graduated from this programme have been placed in Siemens as well as leading companies in various sectors like engineering, banking and finance. First-year engineering student of Government Engineering colleges can apply before August 27.

(Ranjan K Baruah is a career counsellor, skill trainer and academic consultant and can be reached at [email protected] or 8473943734 for any career related queries )