Implementation of Medical Nutrition Therapy in Diabetes and Responsibilities of Dietitian

Abstract

Diabetes is an important health problem that has reached an alarming level. Medical nutrition therapy (MNT) is an important component of diabetes management. The guidelines emphasize that MNT should be provided by a dietitian experienced in diabetes and nutrition. MNT is not a diet list prepared or pre-printed with a focus on energy calculation and distribution of macronutrients. It is the responsibility of the dietitian to determine the nutrition recommendations based on food consumption and nutritional behavior assessmemt. Outcomes must be identified and the effectiveness of nutrition interventions continually evaluated. MNT provided by dietitians is known to be significantly effective on metabolic control. In this review, MNT application stages and dietitian responsibilities in this process are discussed based on current scientific data.