30 years ago today I started my first ever job as a Nutritionist.
This is me graduating with my Masters in Nutrition from King’s College London in 1993. I was determined to be a Nutritionist but had no idea how hard it would be.
Many applications later, I started my first Nutrition job as a Health Promotion Specialist in Nutrition at Somerset Health Authority. I was so lucky to land such an amazing job.
At the time, there were so few Nutritionists that I would only meet others when I went to a conference.
Registration also didn’t exist until 1997 when I was in the first ever group of Registered Public Health Nutritionists. I vividly remember attending the ceremony to be given my registration. It meant so much to me then as it does now.
When I started out, my work focused on Coronary Heart Disease prevention. The number of people living with obesity was at 2% in Somerset and it was considered a disease of affluence.
My ambition was to work at The Department of Health and after 10 years, I finally got there. I was the regional lead for the 5 a day programme and the roll out of the School Fruit and Veg Scheme.
I have been proud to work for so many organisations and make a huge amount of connections in the Nutrition and wider profession. Ironically, some of my recent work has come from connections I made nearly 20 years ago.
If you had told me then about the work I would be doing now, I wouldn’t have believed it. I am so lucky with the work I get to do and am very excited to be heading off to the House of Commons next week for a meeting.
I am most proud of being a Trustee, Director and Fellow of the Association for Nutrition and supporting the profession that has given me so much and I am so grateful that I am able to support the next generation of Nutritionists into work through my How to Get a Job in Nutrition course and Nutrition jobs board.
Thank you to everyone who has been part of my Nutrition career so far. I really am proud to count myself as a Registered Nutritionist.
