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The best way to become a nutritionist is to attend a four-year accredited nutrition degree program. The job of a nutritionist is to study, interpret, and to develop a patient's or client's eating habits. A nutritionist's goal is to encourage new habits to stave off illness and disease. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the job prospects for nutritionists are predicted to increase in the near future as Americans become more sensitive to their diet and health. To become a nutritionist, you can begin by taking a course program that resembles a pre-medical curriculum. Biology, mathematics, health, and communications are advisable subjects to take as early as high school. Certification of some sort will probably be necessary to become a nutritionist. 46 states require either certification, registration, or licensure in order to operate locally as a nutritionist. Before embarking on a nutrition degree program, interested students should investigate requirements in the area you'd like to work in. To boost your resume, the Commission on Dietetic Registration of the American Dietetic Association (ADA) awards the Registered Dietitian credential to anyone who passes an exam after completing their college coursework and supervised experience. Supervised experience is part of any academic program and necessary to become a nutritionist. Generally, then, a nutritionist bachelor's degree course can stretch into a fifth year in order to include both classroom work and field experience. Most nutritionists end up working in hospitals or some sort of medical facility, but in an office like environment. Sometimes, nutritionists end up working in corporate fields helping develop new foods or new catering (like for hotels or airlines.)
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