Do you want to help people achieve their weight loss goals? Are you passionate about nutrition and healthy eating? If so, then a bariatric dietitian job or a bariatric nutritionist job may be perfect for you!

In this blog post, we will discuss what a bariatric dietitian does, the job opportunities that exist in this field, and the education and certification requirements to become a bariatric nutritionist. We will also provide helpful resources for those who are interested in becoming bariatric dietitians.

First things first: where can you find job postings for bariatric dietitian opportunities?

How to find job opportunities

How to find bariatric dietitian jobs? We have a few places for you to hunt!

Your first stop should be our very own job board. Plug in the keyword ‘bariatric’ and see what is available right now. In addition to browsing posted positions, you can also post your resume and let employers find you.

The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND) is another great place to hunt. They have a job board that includes postings for bariatric dietitians.

Another resource is the Obesity Medicine Association (OMA). The OMA is a membership for physicians, physician assistants, and other healthcare professionals; it is not limited to dietitians only. They have a job board for members as well as conferences, continuing education, and other resources.

Also remember: the right employer might also be looking for you! Be sure to keep your LinkedIn profile up to date.

What is a bariatric dietitian?

A bariatric dietitian is a type of registered dietitian who specializes in providing medical nutrition therapy as nutrition assessments, counseling and education to bariatric patients who are seeking to lose weight. Bariatric dietitians work with patients before and after weight loss surgery.

The dietitian's role is important to optimize the patient's health as well as their relationship with food and eating.

Let’s explore the different types of bariatric surgery and how a registered dietitian can help.

What is bariatric surgery?

Bariatric surgery is a type of surgery that helps people lose weight by making changes to their digestive system. There are several different types of bariatric surgery (1, 2, 3).

Roux-en-Y

A portion of the stomach is used to create a much smaller pouch that is then connected directly to the small intestine. The patient is left with a much smaller stomach and feels full more quickly. The larger portion of the stomach remains in the patient.

Sleeve

The sleeve gastrectomy is similar to the roux-en-Y surgery in that the patient is left with a smaller stomach, but the method is different. In this case, part of the stomach is fully removed, leaving the patient with a smaller, banana-shaped stomach. As with the roux-en-Y, the patient feels fuller much more quickly after eating.

Banding

The gastric banding procedure is the least invasive and is reversible. In this surgery, an inflatable band is placed around the stomach, creating a smaller pouch toward the top. As with the other two methods discussed above, the patient feels full more quickly after eating.

According to The American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS), there were just under 200,000 bariatric surgeries in the US in 2020. Of those, more than half were the sleeve gastrectomy, over 40,000 were the roux-en-Y and about 2,000 were the banding (4).

Responsibilities

What does a bariatric dietitian do on a daily basis? Let's explore!

Bariatric dietitians work with patients to create an individualized plan that will help them lose weight and maintain their health. They also provide education on healthy eating habits, portion control, and how to make lifelong changes to improve one's health.

Bariatric dietitians work as part of an interdisciplinary team to support the patient, which may include the program manager, physician, psychiatrist, or another member to support behavioral health (5). You may work with patients in both a group setting as well as individually, one-on-one.

As a bariatric dietitian, you may work with patients long before their surgery to establish a healthier relationship with food as well as to promote weight loss and reduce the size of their liver, making the surgery safer and more accessible. This may be for six months or even a year.

After surgery, bariatric dietitians work with their patients to help them recover and make necessary dietary changes to support their new way of eating. This includes meal planning to optimize protein, recommending specific supplements, and more. A patient may continue losing weight for 18 to 24 months after surgery (6).

Want to know what a day in the life of a bariatric dietitian is like? We interviewed Melissa Page, who is a Bariatric Dietitian at Maine Medical Center's Weight and Wellness Program. She shared what her daily routine is like in our Dietetic Career Spotlight.

No matter your work setting, bariatric dietitians are an important part of the care team for patients who are considering or have undergone weight loss surgeries.

Job settings

Where might a bariatric dietitian work? There are a few common job settings:

• Outpatient clinics
• Hospitals
• Private practice

Each job setting has different responsibilities and patient populations. For example, working in a hospital might mean you see patients who are post-surgery, whereas working in community health might mean you provide nutrition education to groups.

Nutrition counseling may be provided in person, virtually, or both!

How much does a bariatric dietitian make?

Bariatric dietitians make a competitive salary. According to ziprecruiter.com, the median salary for a bariatric dietitian is about $66,000 per year (7).

Salaries will vary based on experience, education, location, and other factors. Many bariatric dietitians also receive benefits such as health insurance and retirement matching.

Ashley, who we’ll hear from later in this article, is a bariatric dietitian in Wisconsin and reports making $28/hour.

Lorena Drago, a registered dietitian and former bariatric surgery coordinator in New York shared that current job postings come with a posted salary of just over $70,000.

Remember that the first offer is never going to be the max possible: negotiate! We show you how right here: The Dietitian Salary Negotiation Guide.

How to become a bariatric dietitian?

Becoming a Registered Dietitian is the first step to becoming a bariatric dietitian. To become a Registered Dietitian, you must complete a bachelor's degree in dietetics, nutrition, or a related field. You must then complete an accredited dietetic internship and pass the national registration exam.

We cover this process in depth right here: How to Become a Registered Dietitian.

If bariatric nutrition is an interest of yours while in your internship program, you could request to have a rotation in bariatric nurition to test the waters and see how this work suits your interest and goals.

If you’ve already graduated, you could ask a practicing bariatric dietitian to let you shadow them or to meet for lunch or coffee to discuss their work.

Once you are fully credentialed as a registered dietitian, you can seek jobs in this niche. No specific certification is required to work in this niche, but continuing education opportunities are available.

Challenges

Working as a bariatric dietitian comes with its challenges, too. Because this population is often struggling with their relationship with food, it can be difficult to help them develop a healthy relationship with food and nutrition.

Ashley Krautkramer, RD, CSOWM, CD, CDCES, a bariatric dietitian in Wisconsin shares that “the misconceptions that the public and our patients have regarding the disease of obesity can make this work difficult. It is very common for even physicians to not realize that obesity is not caused by one single factor. It is a multi-factorial disease that requires a varied approach to treatment.

It can also be challenging to break through some of the misconceptions that the multidisciplinary team you work with may have about nutrition. As the RD, you're the nutrition expert, but it can sometimes take time and coaxing to get the rest of the team to leave some of the old myths behind. For example, it is very common for patients to be told to 'not eat any carbs' after bariatric surgery.”

It's important to remember that everyone is different, and there is no one-size-fits-all approach to weight loss or good health. You'll need to be patient, non-judgemental, and solution-oriented.

Celebrating wins

For someone who has struggled with being overweight for years, experiencing weight loss that sticks can bring about many reasons to celebrate. Wins come in all sizes!

“It is rewarding to see the patient 3-6 months prior to surgery and then 6 months to 1 year and more after surgery. We see the patient's health improve and also changes in their quality of life. It could be something as simple as being able to buy sneakers because now they can bend and tie their shoes using shoelaces when prior to that they had to wear shoes they could slip in because reaching shoelaces was impossible.

At the hospital, we had an annual event called Rock the Runway where we invited patients who had surgery to a party. We invited them to walk the red carpet, and we showed a picture of them prior to surgery. This was a favorite event and many of them loved them.” – Lorena Drago, MS, RD, CDN, CDCES

Tips for Success

There are a few things you can do to be successful as a bariatric dietitian. First, it is essential to be passionate about helping others achieve their weight loss goals. You should also be knowledgeable about the latest nutrition research and trends. Additionally, good communication and interpersonal skills are essential in this role.

As a bariatric dietitian, it is important to have sensitivity to the population that you’re working with.

Continuing education & networking

As a bariatric dietitian, it is your responsibility to stay on top of the literature so that you’re providing the best nutrition care and recommendations to your patients. Here are opportunities to learn more and network:

• A Dietitian's Guide to Nutrition Care for Bariatric Surgery Course
• CDR's Interdisciplinary Obesity And Weight Management Certification
• Bariatric & Weight Management Dietitians Facebook Group
• Weight Management DPG of The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND)
• Obesity Action Coalition (OAC)
• The Obesity Society

Key takeaways

As a bariatric dietitian, you have the potential to connect with your patients for years! Your work has the potential to improve their quality of life dramatically.

Here at Nutrition Jobs, we are here to support you and your career growth. From optimizing your resume and LinkedIn profile to prepping for your next job interview, we’ve got you covered. Check out our full gamut of courses that are made by a dietitian, for dietitians, just like you.

About the Author

Stacey Dunn-Emke, MS, RDN, is the Founder Owner of NutritionJobs and an established dietetic career expert. She helps steer dietetic and nutrition professionals to a successful job search process with the top-ranked dietetic job board platform, NutritionJobs.com. Stacey is the author of The Dietetic Resume Guide and numerous dietetic career action-ables. She gives the tools to create a modern standout dietetic resume to land that job interview, help with job interview prep, and with creating Compelling LinkedIn profiles. Stacey has interviewed and hired many dietitians. Since running NutritionJobs in 2000, she has reviewed thousands of dietetic resumes. She works closely with dietetic hiring managers and recruiters to know the standout elements on a resume that land a job interview. Stacey speaks on successful compensation negotiation at professional conferences and frequently consults with the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics at FNCE and co-created the webinar series, Dietetic Career Hack: The Complete Networking and Resume Guide and Dietetic Career Hack Part II: Interviewing Tips and Tricks. Her previous dietitian jobs have been in clinical, nutrition support, and research.

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