Delve into dietetics
WHEN it comes to living a healthy lifestyle, many people turn to the Internet for information and advice.
“The Internet is certainly a useful platform for information, but information relating to health should always be validated by healthcare professionals.
“The same applies to healthy eating – one should always seek the advice and guidance of qualified dietitians to understand which diet is best for one’s health,” said Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman’s (Utar) Biomedical Science Department acting head Dr Tan Gim Cheong.
Dietitians are more than just professionally trained individuals who translate the science of food, nutrition and medical nutrition therapy of individuals or groups.
As defined by the Malaysian
Dietitians’ Association, dietitians are also professionals equipped with the knowledge and skills to perform nutritional assessments and diagnosis, prescribe medical nutrition therapy, monitor, evaluate and document nutrition care, and provide dietary counselling and nutrition education for the management of diseases.
They generally promote wellness in the community, administrate food service and provide consultation to related industries. Some also participate in academics and research.
To produce more dietitians to help in the development of a healthy nation, Utar – which targets educational excellence with a transformative societal impact – now offers the Bachelor of Science (Hons) Dietetics programme through its Faculty of Science (FSc).
This four-year programme consists of 12 trimesters, during which students are trained in three key areas: clinical nutrition, food service and community nutrition.
The programme incorporates a wide range of knowledge of social science, basic science and behavioural science. Students will also undergo clinical training attachment under the guidance of qualified dietitians.
Graduates of the programme will also be equipped with the knowledge and skills to demonstrate effective communication ability when conveying nutrition information to relevant stakeholders.
They will also be able to provide patient-centred care within a multidisciplinary environment, as well as keep abreast with current scientific information and technology applications in the context of research advancement and professional development related to dietetics and nutrition.
The career prospects for graduates are broad, with opportunities to explore areas in both clinical settings and community settings. Food service institutions also require dietitians to plan and manage meal production and delivery systems.
Dietitians are trustworthy individuals to seek consultation from. They can also participate in teaching or research. Interestingly, dietitians can also explore fields such as public relations, marketing, management, communications, information technology, sports and fitness, military and security services.
Utar is highly reputed as one of the fastest growing private higher education providers in the country since its inception in 2002. From an initial enrolment of 411 students, it now has over 25,000 students with campuses located in Kampar, Perak, and Bandar Sungai Long, Selangor.
Utar has produced over 56,000 graduates since its inaugural convocation in 2005. It currently offers over 110 programmes ranging from foundation studies to bachelor, master’s and PhD degrees in various fields.
Utar was awarded self-accreditation status by the Malaysian Qualifications Agency of the Ministry of Higher Education in 2017 and ranked 501-600 in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2019.
It was also ranked No.99 in the 2018 Times Higher Education Asia University Rankings.
One should always seek the advice and guidance of qualified dietitians to understand which diet is best for one’s health. Dr Tan Gim Cheong