Nutrition: certificate vs certification?
I realize this thread is over a year old. But in case the question is still relevant to someone: Figure out what you want to do with your education, and then decide which education fits that. Then the question becomes how you market what you’re offering, as opposed to which is more marketable.
It doesn’t matter how marketable it is if you don’t want to do it.
Do your clients care who certified you? My experience has been this: it’s more about backing up your skills than where you got those skills from. Brand name education means only as much as the results you give your clients.
Our scope of practice is supposed to hold us to recommending the nutritional guidelines provide by the USDA, etc. We are not supposed to be telling clients what to eat specifically. We can make general recommendations and give examples of foods that are high in fiber, nutrient dense, etc. When we tell clients to eat a specific food, we cross the line. Registered Dieticians have the scope of practice to make specific recommendations and to design menus and diet plans. Just stating the reality of nutrition. Many fitness professionals choose to exceed their scope of practice. Ethically and morally, that does not show a professional level of commitment to our industry.
If you want to design diets, go to school to become a registered dietician. Otherwise, we should be limiting our advice to things like target nutritients, meal timing, improving dietary habits, etc.
Hi Dee,
A)Agreeing to all of the answers,no doubt University will cover in depth, also if you are surfing to become a Dietician also refer becoming a RD, with your current credential it will be great booster.
B) As for me having multiple credential from top notch organizations and BS,
with 20 years global experience, with Olympics/paralympics etc.. and general clients without any medical restriction. The top notch certification get your clients & athletes the results easily combined with proper periodizing & rest .
C) However if you planning on special groups, (Kids, Pregnant, people with medical conditions etc) best is university enhanced with chekout eatright.org
Hope it helps
Ranil
