DIETITIANS in Salisbury are on a mission to raise awareness of their profession as part of a national campaign.

This week is the world’s first Dietitians Week led by the British Dietetic Association (BDA). The week aims to profile the work and value of dietitians; it was established as part of the BDA’s Trust a Dietitian campaign to highlight the profession and impact of dietetic practice on the health of the nation.

The dietitians, based at Salisbury District Hospital, will be at Salisbury Medical Practice today to help people to understand the difference between dietitians and nutritionists.

Victoria Wilkins, Registered Dietitian said: “We work hard to help people make dietary changes to prevent and treat a range of nutrition-related diseases, many of which have become high profile in recent years such as malnutrition, obesity and diabetes.

“We also work to promote healthy eating and a healthy lifestyle to the public and that is why the BDA’s Trust a Dietitian campaign is so important. Choosing the right person to seek nutritional help and advice from can sometimes be confusing; we want the public to know who we are, what we do and why registered dietitians are the experts when it comes to nutrition and food professionals.”

The dietitians will be at the medical centre today until 5pm.

More information about the trust’s Nutrition and Dietetic Service is available at gwh.nhs.uk.

More information about the British Dietetic Association and Dietitian’s Week can be found at trustadietitian.co.uk.