When you think of science majors do you think first of Dietetics?
It's no secret that Nutrition and Dietetics majors are required to learn a lot about food. What we don't get credit for, is all the science we have to learn. Nutrition majors take Chemistry class all the way from Gen Chem, to Organic and Bio Chem. We take Biology, Microbiology, Anatomy and Physiology, and a ton of advanced human nutrition classes. We study applied pharmacology. And of course yes, we take a whole slew of food classes: Food Science, Food Selection, Food Production, the list goes on.
When I started this major I thought I'd be calorie counting my butt off and memorizing which oils were PUFAs and which were MUFA's. Now, I can draw you an omega-3 molecule, and honestly most other carbon-based molecules as well. I can describe, in detail, what diet prescriptions would be appropriate for a myriad of difficult diseases, and the physiological processes of those diseases. I can tell you which part of the small intestine absorbs which micro- and macro-nutrients. I can also tell you how to make all your old family recipes vegan, gluten-free, low residue, heart healthy, low salt, or renal friendly. And how to use a three-compartment sink. Its all part of studying dietetics.
My hope in writing this very short article is that more people will begin to understand that Dietetics is a serious, and science-heavy major. Its a difficult major. All the students I take classes with are driven, authentic, and hardworking. We have to study. We believe that health starts with the basics, and that we have the ability to empower our patients with what we are learning.
Any setting in which health or healing is a priority should include nutrition professionals! We are digestive experts, and diet experts! Nutrition and Dietetics students are the makings of future nutrition professionals and we work hard to know our stuff.
That said, any answer as to which majors are the most health-science knowledgeable should include Nutrition and Dietetics. It's the foodie Pre-Med.
