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How do celebrities stay fit while filming, despite the catered meals on set? Dietary counselors provide much more than information and education regarding nutritional guidelines. They also offer their full support. After all, even hot-bodied Columbian sensations like Shakira need a little assistance when it comes time to shape up for a music video.

If you’ve been struggling to lose weight, regulate your diet or simply to make better choices while perusing the snack aisle, a dietitian or nutritionist can help. Dietary counselors don’t just figure out what you should be eating; they can also keep you on track as you strive to maintain a healthier lifestyle. Better yet, they do so without judgment or blame.

While a dietary counselor can be a good idea to jump-start weight loss, there are numerous other grounds for discussing your dietary habits with a licensed professional.

Dietary counselors can determine the best way in which small changes in eating habits can impact conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, osteoporosis, menopause, acid reflux, irritable bowel syndrome, and ulcerative colitis. They are also able to suggest the best ways for underweight individuals to gain weight, whether the root cause is an eating disorder or an overactive thyroid.

How to Choose a Dietitian

The first step in choosing a dietary counselor is to check their professional credentials. Dietitians and nutritionists are not one and the same. Registered dietitians are licensed by a state or national body and have been given the nod of approval by the American Dietetic Association.

Ask your new dietary counselor what areas of treatment they specialize in (if any). Some may excel in subspecialties like pre- and post-natal nutrition, eating disorders, gastrointestinal conditions, athletic enhancement and pre-diabetic and diabetic concerns.