Engagement Of Nutritionists/Dietitians In Social Media: A Potential To Meet Consumer’S Quest For Healthy Nutrition Information And Services

Gideon Onyedikachi Iheme
Department of Human Nutrition and Dietetics, Michael Okpara University of Agriculture Umudike, PMB
7267 Umuahia, Abia state. Nigeria
Email: [email protected]
ABSTRACT
Background: The increasing consumer’s quest for nutrition related information and services on social media
platforms creates a tussle between the trained nutritionists/dietitians and their unqualified counterparts –“the quacks”
in delivering these information to the targeted audience.
Objectives: This study was designed to identify the effective strategies that nutrition and dietetic professionals can
employ to curb the growing menace of “quackery” in various social media platforms.
Methodology: This study employed a narrative review design to extract relevant content from identified articles,
synthesize and present a deep analysis on the top novel strategies to ensure effective social media engagement of
dietitians/nutritionists.
Results: This study identified that the adoption of the following strategies will enhance the dissemination and delivery
of credible and evident based nutrition information and services to the consumers or clients on social media. These
strategies include: enlightenment of consumers/clients and proper guidance for evidence-based choices, official
endorsement and regulation of the activities of social media registered dietitians/nutritionists, targeting intervention
to address the needs of active social media users, participation in social media marketing training and engagement of
social media personalities/influencers.
Conclusion: It is therefore essential that all social media nutritionists/registered dietitians and her governing body
adopt these effective strategies to improve, reach, increase profitability of online nutrition services rendered and
consequently obliterate the dangers information disseminated by quacks may have on the consumers.
Keywords: Nutritionists/dietitians, social media, consumers, nutrition information and services