<P> A dietitian (or dietician) is an expert in dietetics; that is, human nutrition and the regulation of diet . A dietitian alters their patient's nutrition based upon their medical condition and individual needs . Dietitians are regulated healthcare professionals licensed to assess, diagnose, and treat nutritional problems . </P> <P> A registered dietitian (RD) or registered dietitian nutritionist (RDN) is a dietitian 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, foodservice organization, or community agency, and satisfactory performance on a registration exam . </P> <P> Roughly half of all RDNs hold graduate degrees and many have certifications in specialized fields such as sports, pediatrics, renal, oncological, food - allergy, or gerontological nutrition . After learning about a patient's health history, favorite foods, eating and exercise habits, the RD helps the person to set goals and to prioritize . Follow - up visits often focus on maintenance and monitoring progress . </P> <P> Most RDs work in the treatment and prevention of disease (administering medical nutrition therapy, as part of medical teams), often in hospitals, health - maintenance organizations, private practices, or other health - care facilities . In addition, a large number of registered dietitians work in community and public - health settings, and / or in academia and research . A growing number of dietitians work in the food industry, journalism, sports nutrition, corporate wellness programs, and other non-traditional dietetics settings . </P>

A dietitian is an example of a technologist