Which describes the role of a registered dietitian?

• A. They diagnose mental disorders and provide therapy.
• B. Assess patients current diet, counsel and educate, develop meal and nutritional plans based on individual needs, track patient progress and adjust accordingly, and help patients navigate food access through free resources in the community.
• C. They manage hospital IT systems.
• D. They perform surgical procedures on the digestive tract.

Answer: (B)

Understanding what a registered dietitian does centers on nutrition care: they assess what a person is eating, provide counseling and education about nutrition, and develop meal and nutrition plans tailored to the individual’s needs. They also monitor progress, adjust the plan as needed, and help connect people with food access resources in the community, reflecting the patient-centered, evidence-based approach of dietetics. The other descriptions belong to different fields: diagnosing mental disorders and providing therapy is typical of mental health professionals; managing hospital IT systems is an IT role; performing surgical procedures on the digestive tract is a surgical specialty.