Legal Implications of Being a Nutritional Consultant
Introduction
Nutrition is among the present society’s number one needs. Aside from the fact that the nutritional knowledge of the people living within the society right now is indeed deteriorating, the role of nutritional consultants in assisting the society get a say with what they need from the governmental provisions especially concerning ample distribution of food is an essential factor contributing to the progress of the present human society. Certainly, from this, it could be noted that through ample application of the rules and regulations behind the job of a nutritionist, the global problem in nutrition application may as well be reduced or at best, it may even have a chance of being completely abolished.
What is it that makes the people in this particular career seemingly important and mostly appreciated by the society? What is the nature of this career that particularly makes it one of the most important jobs given stress within the human society? These particular questions shall be discussed within the context of this paper.
The Nature of the Job
Nutritionists or Nutrition consultants are involved in creating possibilities in assisting the people within the human society in becoming nutritionally aware of their needs. Health is wealth. This is the usual saying that supports the major responsibilities that are vested upon the shoulders of professional nutritionists. Among the many people within the human society, only 43% actually get the correct amount of daily nutrition that is needed by the body to be able to sustain itself for bodily repairs and personal care procedures that the human body itself could take care of.
There are different reasons behind the factual reports regarding nutritional issues that are submitted for public knowledge purposes. One reason could be the fact that the poverty line, especially among developing countries hinders the human population from actually being able to acquire the right nutrition that they ought to receive. This issue particularly spurs out from the fact that because of the population-boom that is globally experienced at present, scarcity of resources increase thus making it impossible for the governments to equally provide nutritional measures to both the ones who could afford buying the scarce resources and the ones who could not even afford to buy a single meal for a day.
The role of nutrition consultants in the situation narrated above is certainly described with high regard to their responsibility of helping in the education of the society regarding their nutritional and dietary needs as well as their role in helping in researching the best possible ways to equally distribute the food resources of the present human society among all the population around the world.
To add up to the said description of the job of nutrition consultants, Phoenix University, an online-based educational institution describes the career of nutrition consultants as:
“Dietitians and nutritionists are health professionals who study and apply the principles of nutrition and food management. There are several kinds of dietitians and nutritionists. The largest group is made up of administrative dietitians. Administrative dietitians manage food services in hospitals, schools, nursing homes, restaurants, industrial plants, military bases, and other institutions. They plan and direct the purchase and preparation of food, as well as supervise other food service workers. Administrative dietitians ensure that the meals served are nutritious, appetizing, and within the institution’s budget.
… Nutritionists study the use of food in the human body. They are not usually involved in feeding people. They deal instead with the broad principles of nutrition. They may teach others about scientific discoveries in the field of nutrition. These discoveries can then be applied to the planning of diets and menus. For example, a nutritionist might develop a course to teach poor families how to eat well on a small budget. Nutritionists are employed in the food industry, schools, hospitals, agriculture, and public health agencies.”
As the role of the nutrition consultants had been carefully outlined, it is then necessary to consider the fact that the law, also usually bound the activities that the nutrition consultants engage with. From the clear understanding of the job performed by nutrionists, it should occur to readers that the laws concerning the legality of this particular career is related with the pharmaceutical measures of consideration when giving out samples of food supplements to people who are lacking certain types of nutrients within their body’s system.
The law with regards this issue is aimed in protecting the patient’s health. It should occur to the nutrition consultants that recommending food supplement products such as synthetic vitamins and/or herbal medicines should be made within the basis of being of great help to the patient or the person who is being assisted. With regards considering this particular issue, it should be remembered that whatever it is that happens recommendation of the medicines should be measured with the actual nutritional requirements for the person being dealt with and not simply gaining profit from the producers of a certain nutritional supplement.
This particular responsibility of nutrition consultants is highly given close attention especially within the areas of territory of several developed cities such as New York. This is particularly because of the fact that producers of fake nutritional supplements could be found everywhere else making it harder to identify what is really the true food supplement. Not being able to address this issue would surely cause problems with the health situation of the patient as well as with the reputation of the consultant in the said particular branch of medical profession.
Reference
- The Nutritional and Dietary Supplement Law.(2006). Nutritional supplements, dietary ingredients, functional foods and drinks, nutraceuticals and the law. http://nutrisuplaw.com/?page_id=68. (May 18, 2007).
- Phoenix University. (2007). Dietitian and Nutritionist Job Description, Career as a Dietitian and Nutritionist, Salary, Employment – Definition and Nature of the Work, Education and Training Requirements, Getting the Job. http://careers.stateuniversity.com/pages/342/Dietitian-Nutritionist.html. (May 18, 2007).
