DIETITIANS have warned the public to make sure they get their nutritional advice from properly qualified professionals ? especially when the aim is to improve poor health.

Janet Burrull, of Nutrition Consultant Services and a member of the Bermuda Dietitians Association (BDA), spoke out after hearing from disappointed clients of unqualified nutritionists on the island.

An information leaflet produced by the BDA warns: "One of the largest areas of quackery is found in the field of nutrition.

"There are many individuals making large sums of money promoting supplements and remedies that may be unproven and even unhealthy. It makes sense to get the facts before you invest in any type of supplement."

March is Nutrition Month, as well as Healthy Heart Month, and Ms Burrull took the opportunity to spell out the differences between those offering advice on what to eat.

"You have to be fully qualified to call yourself a dietitian, but anyone can set up as a nutritionist," Ms Burrull said. "There's nothing illegal about practising as a nutritionist, but people should be aware of the difference."

She said that one client had told her that she had paid out hundreds of dollars to a nutritionist with disappointing results and was furious to learn belatedly that she had not received advice from a qualified person.

"The law states that if a person requires diet therapy as it relates to a health condition, like diabetes, heart disease or high blood pressure, then the individual giving the advice must be a registered dietitian," Ms Burrull said.

"For people who need that advice as an important part of their medical care, most health insurance companies will pay a portion of the fees, but only if the advisor is a registered dietitian."

Ms Burrull explained that dietitians had to be registered in Bermuda in accordance with the Professions Supplementary to Medicine Act, unlike nutritionists.

Registered dietitians in Bermuda are required to have a degree in nutrition or related sciences, plus additional dietetics training gained through an internship or a Masters degree programme and must be a member of the professional dietetic association in the country where the training took place. To remain qualified, dietitians must undergo continuing education to update their knowledge.

The BDA was founded in 1989 and has members who are registered dietitians (RDs), plus associate members who work with an RD and hold a nutrition degree. Doctors refer some patients to RDs to tailor a diet specific to the patient's needs.

"All dietitians have to go through so many hours of education to keep their accreditation," Ms Burrull added. "In the UK, where I trained and am registered, they select dietititans through a lottery to check up on them.

"If you are selected, you have seven days to produce documentation of everything you've done, including all your hours of ongoing education, to prove that you are still qualified. I think it's a good system."

A dietitian was trained to judge what was best for each individual client, Ms Burrull added.

"Our job is to look at the textbook and come up with practical advice for Mrs. Smith on how to change her life, taking into account her needs, budget and lifestyle," Ms Burrull said. "People need practical advice, they can't live by a textbook."

Diet has been identified as a risk factor in six of the ten leading causes of death in Bermuda, including heart disease, strokes, hypertension, certain cancers, diabetes and cirrhosis.