Nutrition is a complex, highly technical topic that touches people's daily lives. It is part of your job to make good nutrition understandable and achievable for patients. You will play a major role in educating patients about special diets and in helping them implement dietary changes as instructed by physicians and dietitians. Your knowledge of basic nutritional principles and current nutritional findings will help you perform these tasks with confidence and competence.

You will need a basic understanding of metabolism and the role of calories in the diet. You must also be familiar with the body's daily requirements for protein, carbohydrates, fiber, fat, vitamins, minerals, and water and which foods can fulfill these requirements. The more you learn about foods and their nutritional value, the better able you will be to educate patients about meeting their particular nutritional needs.

Whenever you work with patients, be alert for body weights significantly above or below the ideal. It is also important to recognize indications of eating patterns that may lead to health problems such as obesity, anorexia nervosa, and bulimia.

Your knowledge about nutrition will help you teach patients a major means of supporting and improving their overall health. In some cases your work in this area will help patients avoid or recover from life-threatening medical conditions.