The Role of the Registered Dietitian Nutritionist in a Lifestyle Medicine Program

Abstract

Nutritional care is an important aspect of the Lifestyle Medicine Center and can have a direct impact on treatment outcome and patient satisfaction. Nutritional education, provided by healthcare professionals in general, and Medical Nutritional Therapy, provided by registered dietitian nutritionists or other nutritional professionals specifically, can be effective tools in the management of chronic diseases. Despite the wide availability of diets and supplements, nutritional interventions that are provided should be evidence-based. At present, there are multiple methods for providing these interventions, and the choice will depend on the patient population as well as the Lifestyle Medicine Center’s capabilities and objectives. In-person practice is the most conventional, but long-distance interaction has the potential to provide new and exciting benefits for both patients and healthcare professionals. Since nutritional services pose an additional cost to both the patient and the Center, financial aspects of this model need to be considered to identify the best approach. Lifestyle Medicine Centers will also need to consider physical space, layout, and additional tools required or recommended for providing this service. This chapter will aim to describe the role of the nutrition professional within Lifestyle Medicine Centers and how to integrate this professional as part of the interdisciplinary team. It will also provide an overview on the role of nutrition interventions in Lifestyle Medicine Centers, explore methods of employing these interventions, and identify possible financial and legal drawbacks to be considered. Finally, this chapter will provide tools to HCPs who are ready to implement nutrition interventions in their practice.