Why a Qualified Dietitian Matters: Insights from Nicole Chenard, MS, RD, LDN

Marketing is powerful; it offers magical solutions that make us believe in quick fixes like losing substantial amounts of weight by eating one type of food or taking a certain supplement. But these solutions rarely work, and when they fail, another quick fix appears. This cycle keeps us from addressing the root cause.

In an interview with The Educated Patient,Nicole Chenard, MS, RD, LDN, wants to stress that it’s not your fault—it's ingrained in our society. We are conditioned to seek quick results, whether through diet, exercise, pills or even career choices. The human brain is wired for novelty, making healthy, consistent habits seem unappealing. Marketers exploit this by offering something new and exciting, but the truth is, we know what works; our brains just crave something new.

As a former personal trainer, Chenard realizes how little trainers know about medical nutrition therapy. She explains it takes years of education and clinical experience to teach proper nutrition, something only a registered dietitian is fully equipped to do. The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics ensures that dietitians are the experts you can trust.

She stresses most doctors receive minimal nutrition education in medical school—about 19 hours on average—so they aren't well-equipped to provide dietary advice. Instead, their training focuses on learning about new drugs. Therefore, she believes the best advice a doctor can give is to refer you to a dietitian.

“Just like I can't prescribe medications, they can't prescribe a diet,” she says. “They don't have the background and they don't have the education. With any medical professional, we know what's in our scope. A physical therapist is going to give you a prescription for exercise, a doctor can give you a prescription for medication, and their other job is to refer out when they don't know the answer.”

Chenard offers list of free resources on her website under the "CEUs/CMEs" tab that is geared towards professionals, but anyone can access them. She emphasizes that the more educated we all are about nutrition, the better off we'll be.

This transcript was edited for clarity.

Chenard is a recognized expert in sports nutrition, fitness, and lifestyle coaching. In addition to nutrition and wellness services, she hosts the Nicole Chenard podcast, interviewing professionals in various fields related to health and performance.