Today’s media is saturated with information, tips and advice on nutrition. From recipes to restaurant reviews, fad diets to detox programmes, we hear and read about healthy eating on an increasingly regular basis. And yet, eating disorders abound and obesity is on the rise – perhaps because we never know quite which information to believe.

According to the Association for Dietetics in South Africa (ADSA), there are many unscientific health and nutrition publications around. They believe that nutrition is a science, noting that dieticians are the recognised experts in the field of evidence-based nutrition. Consultation with a registered dietician will protect you from misleading treatments and misinformation, offering long-term solutions so that you do not fall prey to the fad diets and nutrition gimmicks that abound in our society.

ADSA was formed in 1987, in light of a growing need for such an organisation felt by dieticians throughout South Africa. The primary aims of the association are not only to serve the interests of dieticians in South Africa, but also to promote the wellbeing of the community. Their vision is to represent and develop the dietetic profession to contribute towards achieving optimal nutrition for all South Africans. Now a national association, ADSA has over a thousand members in eight regional branches in the following provinces: Eastern Cape, Western Cape, Northern Province, KwaZulu Natal, Gauteng South, Pretoria, Free State and Mpumalanga. The national office is situated in Gauteng, from where administrative and membership functions are co-ordinated.

The cornerstone of any profession is the continuous pursuit of knowledge and skills. In the early 1990’s it was felt by members of the Executive Committee of ADSA that a formal system for the continuing education and development of dieticians was needed. ADSA’s Continuing Professional Development (CPD) system was therefore mandated in March 1994 and since then a great deal of work has gone into developing the system.

CPD for dieticians is the education and training directly related to dietetics/nutrition, which is undertaken beyond the academic requirements for entry into the profession. It includes one or more of the areas within the scope of dietetic practice, namely therapeutic nutrition, community nutrition and food service administration and management. In 1997 the Health Professions Council of South Africa(HPCSA) published in the Government Gazette that “Compliance with certain conditions relating to education and training is a prerequisite for continued registration” as a health professional in SA and in 2001, the system became compulsory for all health professionals.

Established in 1997, ADSA’s Private Practising Dieticians (PPD) Office was set up in response to the needs and problems experienced by South African dieticians in private practise. The funding of the office comes from an additional amount in membership fees paid by PPD’s and from the sale of publications. The office refers patients to practitioners nationwide both by direct referral and through the distribution of PPD directories to possible sources of referrals, for example liaising with medical schemes on behalf of the PPD. Thus, if you would like to find out where you can find a Registered Dietician near to your home, or who specialises in a specific field, you can contact the PPD office for a reliable referral.

Should you need the details of a Registered Dietician in your area or if you would like more information on Dietetics, you can contact ADSA on: (011) 447-4187, visit www.dietetics.co.za or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

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