What does a dietitian do?

The dietitian is the expert in the field of nutrition and health. For example, you can visit a dietician if you have diabetes, cardiovascular disease or are overweight. But an appointment with the dietitian is also recommended if you suffer from a food allergy or an irritable bowel, if you have chewing or swallowing problems, are malnourished or underweight or if you want to eat vegan in a healthy way. Dietitians can also help you to perform better as a (top) athlete: many sports teams and Olympic athletes hire a dietician to optimize their nutrition.

You can find dietitians in various workplaces: in hospitals, in nursing and care homes and home care, for example. But there are also many dieticians with their own practice. Did you know that you can make an appointment with a dietitian without a referral?
To be allowed to call yourself a dietitian, you must have completed a 4-year HBO education in Nutrition and Dietetics. Many dietitians then specialize. There are special sports dieticians, pediatric dieticians and allergy dieticians.

Puzzles at office hours

If you have a first appointment with a dietitian, he/she will first want to get a good picture of your situation. Why do you come, what do you hope to achieve, what are your complaints, what do you eat in a day, what have you already tried, do you use medication and how much exercise do you have? The dietitian takes all these – and more – factors into account in the advice and treatment. The advice is tailored exactly to your wishes and your situation. For example, if you are a vegetarian, but you do need extra protein to gain strength after a long illness, a dietician will suggest vegetarian protein-rich products and give you tasty recipes to help you achieve your goal. A dietitian can do a lot for your health. In some diseases, such as lactose intolerance and diabetes, symptoms can disappear completely and the disease can even be reversed.

Extra attention when you are in the hospital

In a hospital, care home or other institution, a dietician can visit you at your bedside. You can do this on your own initiative, because you have questions about your nutrition, for example, but a nutrition assistant, doctor, nurse or other medical professional can also suggest the help of a dietician. You can imagine that it is nice if someone can give you tips if you are nauseous after chemotherapy. Or you can give advice to start a treatment as ‘strong’ as possible so that the chance of a faster recovery is somewhat greater.
Sometimes a regular diet is not enough and you can use some extras in the form of drinking food or tube feeding. This will be arranged for you in the hospital, but a dietician can ensure that you also receive the right products at home.

Compensation

You do not need a referral from a doctor for an appointment with a dietitian.

• Under the basic insurance you are entitled to 3 hours of dietary advice per year. Keep your own risk in mind.
• If you have additional insurance, you may be reimbursed for more hours per year. You can read this in your policy conditions.
• If you have diabetes, COPD (a lung disease) or cardiovascular disease, the treatment costs may be reimbursed from a partnership to which the dietician is affiliated. There is then no deductible.