You are about to do some research and thinking about nutrition, specifically about how food and exercise contribute to health and well-being. Acting in the role of a dietitian ("dietitian" is the preferred spelling of the registered dietitian community, as opposed to "dietician") at a fictional health clinic, you will review client cases and make recommendations about ways to help these clients make healthier choices through diet and exercise. You will also take some time to reflect on your own nutritional health.

Why should I care about nutrition anyway?

Every day you eat food and drink beverages. Maybe you exercise a little or a lot, too. Those choices influence how you feel each day and ultimately affect your health in both the short and long term. So, it’s helpful to have a basic understanding of what your body needs to function well and what can happen when it doesn’t get what it needs. Eating the right foods, and getting the right type of exercise can have a profound impact on how you feel every day – from having more energy, to being able to fall asleep at night (and get up in the morning), to increased focus – paying attention to how exercise and diet habits affect your mood and sense of well-being can give you more control over how you feel on a day-to-day basis.

How will this project help me make better choices about my diet and exercise?

This rotation offers you a lot of different ways to practice making healthier choices when it comes to nutrition. By assessing the needs of fictional clients in your role as dietitian, analyzing a peer’s diet and exercise patterns, and looking at your own nutritional habits, you’ll be able to make sound decisions about how much and what kinds of food your body needs and the level of exercise that will help keep you healthy without overdoing it. You’ll be able to evaluate your specific needs and identify potential risks to look out for based on various factors like your height and weight, caloric intake, and level of physical activity. You’ll be able to assess the role that family, friends and other outside influences have on your diet and exercise habits which will in turn help you make conscious choices about your own nutritional well-being.

I’m not a real dietitian. How will I be able to advise clients on their nutritional health?

This rotation provides many resources, including step-by-step guides, to help you think through the problems your clients are facing one step at a time. You’ll also be working in a team. You will be able to share ideas as well as give and receive feedback from your teammates. In addition, a mentor will be available to help you when you have questions and will give you feedback on your work.

How do I get started?

Simply click on Task 1: Critique Michael Wilson in the left menu. Remember that part of this rotation is a simulation; for those activities you do your work within a fictional scenario in which you and your peers have recently been employed to work as a dietitian at a teen nutrition clinic. Your boss, Pat Niren, is the Head Dietitian who is very committed to providing clients with high quality service. She has hired you and your fellow students to ensure that sound analysis and advice is part of every client experience. You begin by reviewing and evaluating the work of one of your colleagues during a recent client interview.


By clicking on Task 1: Critique Michael Wilson , you will see Pat’s first email to you, describing your task. Once you’ve read this email, you can proceed to Task 1.1: Critique Practitioner's Interview, reading another email and then looking at the Get help section for a step-by-step guide and other resources to help you do your work.