The Role of the Dietitian

Exploring the eating disorder curricula of accredited university dietetic programs in Australia and New Zealand

“…Collectively, these factors contribute to the increased likelihood of an emerging dietitian encountering an undiagnosed patient with an ED [ 28 ], as many patients seek treatment of symptoms for their ED, even in the absence of a formal ED diagnosis [ 32 , 40 , 41 ]. For this reason, dietitians have been described as ‘first responders’ in EDs and can play an important role in the identification of EDs, thereby facilitating early access to treatment and early intervention when appropriately trained [ 42 ]. Health professionals who have limited knowledge and clinical experience in the recognition of ED symptoms, signs, and referral pathways, may unintentionally cause harm, including delays in patient recovery [ 43 ].…”

“…The latter document is specifically targeted toward dietitians in the community or private practice and provides a step-by-step guide to support dietitians in the identification of, and response to, patients with EDs [ 57 ]. Additionally, a newly published overview of the role of the dietitian in the treatment of EDs [ 42 ], lists nutrition frameworks that can be utilised as practical tools to deliver nutrition interventions for EDs, including RAVES [ 58 ], The REAL Food Guide [ 59 ], the rule of threes [ 60 ], and Plate-by-Plate Approach [ 61 ]; and outlines core patient nutrition education topics targeted during nutrition intervention for EDs [ 42 ]. However, unless these documents are acknowledged or included by universities in the planning and delivery of the ED-specific content, then students are likely to be unaware of their value in dietetic practice.…”