Support As the Hong Kong public has become more health conscious and health literate, and many wish to follow a balanced diet to improve health. Moreover, the community has been overwhelmed by tones of nutrition related advertisement, involving “dietitians” and other medical professionals for endorsement or recommendations. Would you be convinced by this kind of advertisement? Have you ever thought of the accuracy of those advertisements and nutritional information you obtained from the media, and the qualifications of these “professionals”? If these professionals are qualified, do you think they should endorse products? Academic courses in nutrition is another issue that worth attention. Some of these programs provide nutrition knowledge that help improve health, and some claim to provide route that leads to the dietetic profession. Unfortunately, the professional and academic standards are neither assessed nor regulated by the government; the general public could hardly differentiate the qualification standards. Know more about Dietitians Dietitians are professionals who have completed accredited dietetic programs and registered with the government or regulatory body. Such dietetic programs are either Bachelor or Master degree including clinical dietetic, food science, human nutrition, biochemistry, physiology, pharmacology, etc. Of course, clinical internship in hospital must be included as well. The core responsibility of dietitian is to provide diet counseling and nutritional intervention including nutrition assessment, meal planning and behavioral modification. The objective of dietetic service is to promote one’s health by improving medical conditions and preventing chronic diseases. Dietitians possess the knowledge and skills of Medical Nutrition Therapy (MNT) and are capable to provide dietary advice to patients who bear certain medical risks such as cancer, diabetes, renal failure, cardiovascular diseases, stroke, eating disorder. Inappropriate diet intervention dangers people’s health, worsen the medical condition and even lead to death. Some examples are: extreme dieting could lead to malnutrition and even heart failure, misuse of nutritional supplement could affect renal and liver function, incorrect diet advice to diabetic or renal patients could worsen their condition and lead to complications. In certain countries like United States, United Kingdom and Canada, the title of “Dietitian” is protected by law. Qualified person must obtain statutory registration with the government before calling themselves “Dietitian” and provide dietetic service. This is to ensure the public health. Lack of dietitian registration, risking people’s health Without the statutory registration system in Hong Kong, meaning that there is no legal binding of this profession. Anyone could claim himself a dietitian and carry out MNT without violating the law. People are unable to ensure the qualification of the self-claimed “Dietitian” when they receive dietetic service. They may receive false information and inappropriate diet intervention, which devastate their health and yet, they do not have any channel to complain. What does statutory registration of local dietitians mean to you? Statutory registration of local dietitians is necessary to ensure the professional standards and the service quality of nutrition professionals; hence, protect the public’s interest in health maintenance. How to become dietitians in Hong Kong? Nutrition / Dietetic relevant degree holder   OR Equivalent qualifications recognized by the Department of Health, Hong Kong SAR and the Hospital Authority: For example: overseas dietitians who have achieved the following professional qualifications: State Registered Dietitian (Health Professions Council, UK) OR Registered Dietitian (CDR, USA) OR Registered Dietitian (Canada) OR Accredited Practising Dietitian (DAA, Australia)   Achieve Postgraduate Diploma in Dietetics organized by SPACE of the Hong Kong University including a clinical internship at local hospitals     Meet the qualifications requirement to apply for the post of dietitian in the Department of Health, Hong Kong SAR and the Hospital Authority Support