Why use one?

If you want to lose weight, or you have lactose intolerance, or an allergy or illness that restricts your food intake, then a dietician can help you plan your food to ensure you get enough nutrients to stay healthy. If you try to lose significant amounts of weight without one, it is likely that it will pile back on afterwards. A dietician can help to find the perfect plan for you, and also prevent you losing too much weight, and yes there is such a thing.

What will happen at my meetings?

They will ask lots of questions about what you like to eat, what is your daily schedule, and from there set out with a plan that would work. They will cater specifically to you, the individual.

How can I tell if they are any good?

If you get a referral from your GP, the dietician they send you to will be state registered, and thus suitably trained. However if you clash with the first person they send you to, and feel they don't relate to your way of life or your specialist diet you may want to look for another. Your GP may be able to help with this, or you can search for one yourself. For a state registered dietitian, send an sae marked 'private practice' to : The British Dietetic Association, 5th Floor Charles House, 148-149 Great Charles Street, Birmingham, B3 3HT.

What to expect from your first session

Something your dietician will often ask you to do is to keep a log of your food intake for a week, with estimated portion sizes. In behaviour modification programs, you would also be expected to note the time that you ate, the activity you were engaged in, whom you were with, and how you were feeling. Though most dieticians don't insist on that, there is some real benefit in noting this information. Many people who see dieticians need more than information about what is wrong with their diet. They often need to solve problems in eating behaviour. Getting all the facts down about that behaviour can really help to identify problems.

The goals of a first session should be for the dietician to gain a clear understanding of why you are there and to get a good picture of your eating habits, to help you to identify areas of strength in your current eating pattern and areas for improvement, and then set up a specific plan for making necessary changes.

Once you've identified problems and solutions, your dietician can help you to put the information together in a couple of different ways. S/he might work with you to put it all together in a structured menu plan, but if you have lots of changes to make and are not in immediate danger of health complications, the dietician may prefer to prioritise changes, beginning with the easiest, giving you just one or two at a time.

Updated: 19/10/2008