Being a Nutritionist - Supervising on Food Habits

Nutrition a term of much importance undoubtedly, has become a focus of everyday life, in an era where junk or fast food has become a part of our daily diet. Nutritionists and dieticians play an important role in guiding people, to follow a proper diet chart and take up healthy eating habits so as to avoid diseases as well as control ailments. Career wise, Nutritionists have better job prospects in various fields, wherein such experts often help to cope up with changing lifestyle of urban man. Preferably, nutritionists have an inseparable place to work in the health care industry, i.e. hospitals, nursing care facilities apart from food services, institutional catering, research and development, public welfare and in various health departments of government. Education is yet another field wherein teaching the discipline of nutrition creates an awareness among the young generation.

Round the clock

A 24X7 schedule of multinational company creates in itself a similar time frame of working hours for any nutritionist, as would be for any other personnel or staff of any division like marketing, technical, finance or customer care. It solely depends upon the project one is required to handle in the company.

Remuneration

As a Nutritionist a fresher holding a diploma in nutrition can earn an income of ` 10,000 to ` 15,000 per month. Others with a master's degree in nutrition of home science can get packages of ` 2.5 lakh to ` 7 lakh per annum. Similarly when combined with a degree in hotel management, nutritionists can expect an income of ` 20,000 to ` 25,000 per month.

Skills in the field

Nutritionists need to keep themselves updated with the changing scenarios and existing trends in nutrition and healthcare. A better understanding of the subject especially the fundamentals of nutrition, physiology, food science and basics of human psychology helps in giving better directions. Food laws are another aspect be aware of. Besides providing counseling, good writing skills are also required so as to produce unambiguous reports, presentations, etc. Effective communication and interpersonal skills always benefit a career.

Steps for the career

• Take home science course as a subject for the class 11 and class 12 and attain degree in home science.
• Take undergraduate course in home science after Class 12.
• After completing post graduation, pursue PhD to research in Food and Nutrition.
• Take up a full time catering diploma and then do specialization in nutrition.

Study at

Some of the colleges offering a course in Nutrition are -

• Institute of Home Economics and Lady Irwin College, Delhi

www.ihe-du.com

www.ladyirwin.edu.in

• Mount Carmel College, Bangalore

www.mountcarmelcollegeblr.co.in

• University of Mumbai

www.mu.ac.in

• Osmania University, Hyderabad

www.osmania.ac.in