How reliable are your nutrition sources? There is a lot of nutrition information out there and it can be confusing trying to decide what is true and what isn’t. Whilst there is indeed a lot of nutrition information, it is not all created equal. By making sure we are listening to reliable sources for our nutrition information we can make sure we are following the best evidence and doing what is best for us.

There are two specific professions that are qualified in the UK to give out nutrition advice. The first are dietitians. Dietitians have to undergo a rigorous degree with varied placements in different settings including clinical. Dietitian is a protected title which means only people who are registered with the British Dietetic Association are allowed to use that title. You can spot registered dietitians as they will have RD after their name. We’re very grateful to dietitians at Achieve Oxfordshire as they developed our very own Lose Weight with Achieve course. The second profession is registered nutritionists. This is where it gets a little bit more complicated. Nutritionist is not a protected title (yet!) and so that means anyone can give themselves that title regardless of their level, or lack of, qualification. However, you can find the qualified and evidence-based nutritionists by making sure the nutritionist you’re listening to is registered with the Association for Nutrition. This is a voluntary register for nutrition professionals – to be accepted, the nutritionist has to have completed an accredited degree. So, while anyone can call themselves a nutritionist, the qualified and trustworthy ones will be on this register – you can spot them as they’ll have ANutr or RNutr after their name.

So, if you see a headline that sounds a bit too good to be true or a bit out of the blue, check who is behind it to see if its trustworthy. We’ve listed some reliable nutrition sources below but if you’re unsure whether to believe a headline, remember you can always reach out to us at Achieve Oxfordshire and we’ll happily advise you! To refer yourself to one of our evidence based courses just fill out a referral form here: https://bit.ly/ReferralFormAchieveBritish Nutrition FoundationBritish Dietetics AssociationNHS Behind the Headlines