Accredited Practising Dietitians are health professionals who provide nutritional counselling to encourage eating for physical, emotional and social wellbeing. A Dietitian who is trained and experienced in Eating Disorder therapy can assist people to understand their eating behaviours and relationship with food and exercise, and to develop patterns of eating which assist recovery.
Some of the areas an Eating Disorder Dietitian might focus on are:
1. Personalised nutritional assessment and recommendations – Dietitians undertake a thorough nutritional assessment, which enables them to provide education about adequate and regular nutritional intake which is personalised to the individual. This assists people to prioritise the foods they need to nourish their bodies and minds and is based on nutritional and behavioural science, rather than pop-culture trends and misinformation.
2. Eating for wellbeing – Dietitians can help to dispel some of the myths of diet culture and move the focus away from eating behaviours which are labelled as ‘healthy’, but may actually be harmful. A Dietitian can assist people to understand the benefits of regular and adequate nutrition such as increased metabolic efficiency, improved digestive functioning, and reduced fluctuations in mood and energy.
3. Supporting flexible and social eating – Dietitians can assist people to develop the confidence and skills needed to eat comfortably in social settings by moving away from food rules to focus on other aspects of eating such as nourishment, taste and pleasure. A Dietitian can collaboratively develop strategies to assist people to improve confidence in choosing satisfying and nourishing foods across different settings and circumstances.
4. Understanding weight – Dietitians can draw upon their scientific understanding of the body to assist people to focus on wellbeing rather than body weight, and dispel many of the common myths and assumptions about body size.
5. Helping people learn about their bodies needs – Dietitians can assist people to learn to tune into their physiological cues of hunger and fullness, to trust their body’s inner wisdom, and to eat intuitively. Not only can Dietitians help people liberate from diet culture, they can guide an understanding of health, independent of body weight, shape or size.
6. Being an important part of an interdisciplinary team – Dietitians work collaboratively with other health professionals including Doctors, Psychologists and Psychiatrists, to assist people with Eating Disorders toward improved wellbeing, and recovery.
An Accredited Practising Dietitian can be an integral part of an interdisciplinary treatment team supporting people diagnosed with an Eating Disorder or challenges with food and eating. If you would like help with any of the above, please complete our New Client Request form at the link below and we will be in touch to get you started with one of our team.
