Find out the answer to this question across the next 7 days, as Accredited Practising Dietitians (APDs) throughout Australia share this with their communities for Dietitians Week 2022.

An animation highlighting the diverse ways that dietitians improve lives has been released by Dietitians Australia to mark the start of Dietitians Week.

It helps demystify what dietitians do and outlines how to connect with a dietitian for support.

As part of the week, Dietitians Australia is encouraging older Australians to seek dietetic advice, to help reduce the rates of malnutrition.

A survey conducted by Dietitians Australia, found that 35% of respondents felt their older friend or relative needed more support with nutrition.

Of these 1000 survey participants, 63% were also unaware of the signs of malnutrition, a preventable condition where risk increases with age, meaning that without professional support, this is likely to remain undiagnosed.

“Symptoms of malnutrition can include loss of appetite, weight loss, muscle loss, fatigue, cuts taking longer to heal, hair loss and fatigue,” said Robert Hunt, CEO of Dietitians Australia.

“Weight loss is not a sign of healthy ageing – and early detection is key to stopping malnutrition in its tracks.

“The risk of malnutrition increases as we age due to a range of reasons – dental issues, impacts of medications, being socially isolated, limited finances and mobility issues, which can make it harder to shop, prepare and cook food.”

Accredited Practising Dietitians offer practical and personalised nutrition advice to older Australians and can suggest other services to connect to, to help overcome these issues.

Wondering when you or an older relative should see a dietitian for malnutrition? Robert shares this advice:

“If you experience loss of appetite, sudden weight change, are worried about your nutritional needs or want advice on how to prevent malnutrition – an Accredited Practising Dietitian is there to help.

“You can connect with your local dietitian by visiting the ‘Find a Dietitian’ search tool on the Dietitians Australia website.”

As part of the recent refresh of the Dietitians Australia website, this includes a growing library of health advice pages. Check out the advice on malnutrition and how to connect with a dietitian: https://dietitiansaustralia.org.au/health-advice/malnutrition  

For more about Dietitians Week visit: https://dietitiansaustralia.org.au/about-us/dietitians-week