This is a guestpost by Pixie Turner. To find out more about Pixie and her main links check the author box at the bottom of this post.
So you want to study nutrition?
Great! More and more people are taking an interest in nutrition, and clearly the best way to learn more about something is to study it. So you google “nutrition courses” and are bombarded by over 70 million results. Wow… but how do you decide which one to pick?
The answer to this depends on several factors:
- How old are you?
- What qualifications do you already have?
- How much time are you willing/able to invest in this?
- Do you intend to practice and work in nutrition on completion?
That last one is especially important.
If you’re looking to work as a nutritionist then the most respected and evidence-based route is to do a university course that’s accredited by the Association for Nutrition (AfN). That’s either a 3 year undergraduate degree or a 1 year postgraduate course, usually a Masters (MSc).
To find these courses, head to the AfN website to see their accredited courses all around the UK. These are the only courses that give you a direct route to becoming a Registered Nutritionist (ANutr then RNutr). But this route requires science A-levels or a biological sciences undergraduate degree. And it’s very heavily science-based, with intense biochemistry and physiology.
I maintain that if you want to practice as a nutritionist, if you deeply care about understanding both the science and the scientific process, then this is the best route to take.
This route isn’t possible for everyone though, I understand that.
That’s why the AfN website also has a list of courses which, although they don’t qualify you to be a registered nutritionist, are intended if you’re looking to gain personal knowledge or are useful if nutrition plays a role in your job in some way. You can find those here.
Courses in nutritional therapy or naturopathic medicine such as The Institute for Optimum Nutrition (ION) are not endorsed by AfN, because they do not meet the strict evidence-based standards required. Instead they are often endorsed by British Association for Applied Nutrition & Nutritional Therapy (BANT).
That’s not to say these courses aren’t good (although I haven’t yet found one I’d happily endorse) but should be examined with a sceptical eye.
It also doesn’t mean that nutritional therapists aren’t good at what they do, aren’t evidence-based, and are giving out unscientific advice.
Many BANT-registered therapists are brilliant, but many are at odds with the scientific consensus and preach anti-vaccine views or promote dangerous fad diets that have killed people in the past. So don’t discount them entirely, but be mindful of these courses. (Link)
(Although this is in the Daily Fail the experts they quote – Catherine Collins and George Grimble – are both excellent highly-qualified people and I trust them. The latter taught my masters course!)
There are a great many online courses which offer you titles such as “health coach”, or “nutrition coach”.
If you have the money to throw at these – ranging from £20 to several thousand – then feel free, but you’ll likely end up learning information that is outdated, unscientific, incorrect, and potentially harmful to clients. Sounds dramatic, but I regularly have to pick up the pieces from these so-called “experts” due to their fear mongering, dangerous practices.
Working in nutrition means dealing with people’s health.
That’s a serious responsibility, and that can have serious implications, positive or negative. Don’t cause harm to someone’s health just because you couldn’t be bothered to get a proper qualification.
As always, I’m happy to discuss and advise anyone on the right course for them, or analyse a particular course someone has in mind before the commit. If this is you, please get in touch via email or on social!
8 comments
Really useful article, and timely for me too.
I’m about to enrol on Phil Learney’s ACA course, the module for sports nutrition, and based a lot of that on the fact it’s AfN acredited.
Upon completion my plan is to do a small amount of consulting alongside a full time job, while saving up to progress to the ISSN.
It’s annoying that at 16-18 I didn’t think or have the same interests as I do now at the ripe old age of 32!
Absolutely agree. I’m studying a level 6 diploma in nutritional therapy with clinical year at BCNH. It’s a degree level diploma (which is upgradable to BSc but I can’t afford it), and it’s all taught based on evidence and by experienced lecturers. We sometimes get students coming over after being dissatisfied with other colleges, and they complain that other courses were too airy fairy with no scientific evidence backing their learning up.
I’m almost at the end of my second year and I’m loving it. Our lecturers are world class and they’re incredibly inspiring. We start the course with biology and physiology, then we move onto connecting those body systems together with diseases, symptoms, antecedents, mediators and triggers – following a functional medicine model of practice.
It’s hard juggling a full time job with this but it’s so worth it, I can’t wait to be qualified in 2 years time.
If you’re interested in finding out more, our Principal Breda is lovely and very hands on with the teaching. The website is http://www.bcnh.co.uk.
Happy to talk more if anyone is interested. I don’t even work for the college, I’m just really passionate about our course!
Would you have any recommendations for courses in the US?
Or even better – the gold standard in nutrition – study to become a dietitian. The only qualified nutrition experts that are HCPC Registered!
https://www.bda.uk.com/improvinghealth/yourhealth/dietitians
Thankyou this has been so useful! I am currently looking at going back to university, I really wanted to study Psychology and nutrition as I am really interested in the way the mind plays a huge part in decisions (you know diet culture etc) but the university course that does this is too far from home. So I am looking at doing a Psychology and public health course but reading blogs liek this really show my passion for nutrition
How wrong, amateurish and insulting can you be?
I am a very satisfied IIN graduate, now working as a health coach, with very satisfied clients who’s health has been quantifiably improved.
For someone who says she trained in scientific method, your research and due diligence is lacking. I’m sorry, but “my unqualified friend told me ……” isn’t a basis to make what many might construe as libellous statements. What direct factual evidence-based experience can you offer? Facts, not opinions! None it would seem, as you are comparing a recognised and respected nutrition school, whose graduates are authorities in health and wellness, with dubious bodies offering 4-week infomercial courses. You should know that IIN partners with accredited educational institutions such as Maryland University to offer Bachelor and Masters level health qualifications.
Your article is ill-informed, error strewn and dangerous, as it misinforms those reading it. It also insults a body that is doing so much more to improve the health of our nations than you could possibly imagine. I suggest you should aspire to something as noble and life changing. If you do not take down your article within next 24 hours AND publish a retraction, I will take appropriate and proportionate action.
It is easy to set yourself up as a self-proclaimed authority not having done the hard yards of front line experience. But to those of us knowledgeable in the field it is all too obvious.
I find this comment so offensive. Nutrition is a real science and to practice it according to the standards approved by authorities you need to be well educated to not accidentally cause harm to your clients. Imagine if doctors got their qualifications through an online course, would you be confident to get treated by a practitioner who got their certificate after 6 months of studying as opposed to 6+ years of higher education? I’ve been studying nutrition for 3 years to become a BSc and I’m still not confident enough that I can provide the best care for possible patients that would invest their time and money to rely on my help. Education is very important.
I took a course with iin and it was awful. From start to finish a giant waste of time. Essentially, it’s just one big mlm because you’re encouraged to get others to sign up. I don’t feel it was worth 10% of the cost let alone the full value. I ended up doing a nutritional therapy course which was much more science based and useful. I’d love to go back to uni but at the moment it’s not possible. I do say I’m an iin grad for the simple fact, I know people recognise it but I never recommend people do the course and certainly don’t share my ambassador link.