Careers in Food and Health Healthy Interest in Food?
Posted on: Thursday, 21 October 2004, 14:00 CDT
What does a career as a food and health officer involve?
Ultimately, food and health officers organise and run projects and increase awareness and access to healthy options for groups such as primary care trusts, schools, hospitals, restaurants, cafes, and community organisations.
What personal skills do you need? Naturally, you need to understand the importance of healthy eating.
Good communication skills are essential, because you will meet with people from so many backgrounds.
You need to be able to relate and educate the key messages in promoting healthy lifestyles to a wide range of groups.
You will also need great organisational and time management skills, as well as research and analytical skills, and to be self- motivated.
What training do you need? If you are interested in making a career in nutrition, you should study for a degree.
You will need science subjects such as chemistry and/or biology at A-Level.
If you did not study science at school, you may still be able to enter university after successfully completing a science access course instead. Course leaders or admissions tutors will advise you about entry requirements.
You can follow a degree with a postgraduate course in nutrition which leads to a Masters (MSc).
Or a postgraduate course could be a chance for you to specialise, for example, in public health nutrition.
Or you could combine nutritional science with another subject, such as sport science or food science or human biochemistry.
Some international health courses may also include nutrition.
What is the potential for career advancement?
There are lots of National Health Service authorities and trusts, local authorities or voluntary organisations which employ food health specialists. What is the salary? The salary starts off at around pounds 15, 000 and rises to pounds 22, 000, with experience.
More information
www. nutritionsociety. org, tel: 0207 602 0228, e-mail: office@nutsoc. org. uk www. btacareerchoices. com
Case study
HEATHER Wright, 24, is a food and health officer for the Heart of Mersey -- a coronary heart disease prevention programme. She is based at Liverpool John Moores University (LJMU).
After completing her ALevels, Heather, from Old Swan, studied for her BA honours in food and nutrition at LJMU and gained practical experience in the catering industry working as a chef in Liverpool for two years.
She took up her position as food and health officer at the beginning of this year and has been involved in a number of projects aimed at promoting healthy eating to prevent coronary heart disease.
Heather explained: "I work with lots of different groups and organisations with the common aim of reducing the rate of coronary heart disease in Greater Merseyside.
"For example, I helped to organise a healthy lunch box campaign for 600 schools across Merseyside and I have been encouraging mobile caterers to provide healthy alternatives within their menus. "
Source: Liverpool Echo
Related Articles
- Focus on the Heart Health Food and Drinks: NPD in Cardiovascular Health, Hypertension and Cholesterol Reduction
- A Comprehensive Evaluation of the UK Health Foods & Products Market
- Pharmacist Sherry Torkos Signs and Speaks About Her New Book, 'The Glycemic Index Made Simple', at Health Food Stores in Manhattan and New Jersey
- What Does the Epidemic of Childhood Obesity Mean for Children With Special Health Care Needs?
- Health Food Store Has More Room
- Dear Rachael: Health CHECK: I Need Fibre but Detest Wholemeal
- Children With Special Health Care Needs and Managed Care
- Celebrating 100 Years of Health. The Quest for a Healthy America
- Health Food Store in Gurnee Still Going Strong After 4 Years
- Health Food Stores Could Be Bad for Your Health
 |
 |
User Comments (0)
RSS Feeds