Missouri Laws 324.200 – Dietitian practice act — definitions
1. Sections 324.200 to 324.225 shall be known and may be cited as the “Dietitian Practice Act”.
2. As used in sections 324.200 to 324.225, the following terms shall mean:
Terms Used In Missouri Laws 324.200
- following: when used by way of reference to any section of the statutes, mean the section next preceding or next following that in which the reference is made, unless some other section is expressly designated in the reference. See Missouri Laws 1.020
- person: may extend and be applied to bodies politic and corporate, and to partnerships and other unincorporated associations. See Missouri Laws 1.020
- State: when applied to any of the United States, includes the District of Columbia and the territories, and the words "United States" includes such district and territories. See Missouri Laws 1.020
- United States: includes such district and territories. See Missouri Laws 1.020
(1) “Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics” or “ACEND”, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics accrediting agency for education programs preparing students for professions as registered dietitians;
(2) “Committee”, the state committee of dietitians established in section 324.203;
(3) “Dietetics practice”, the application of principles derived from integrating knowledge of food, nutrition, biochemistry, physiology, management, and behavioral and social science to achieve and maintain the health of people by providing nutrition assessment and nutrition care services. The primary function of dietetic practice is the provision of nutrition care services that shall include, but not be limited to:
(a) Assessing the nutrition needs of individuals and groups and determining resources and constraints in the practice setting;
(b) Establishing priorities, goals, and objectives that meet nutrition needs and are consistent with available resources and constraints;
(c) Providing nutrition counseling or education in health and disease;
(d) Developing, implementing, and managing nutrition care systems;
(e) Evaluating, making changes in, and maintaining appropriate standards of quality and safety in food and in nutrition services;
(f) Engaged in medical nutritional therapy as defined in subdivision (8) of this section;
(4) “Dietitian”, one engaged in dietetic practice as defined in subdivision (3) of this section;
(5) “Director”, the director of the division of professional registration;
(6) “Division”, the division of professional registration;
(7) “Licensed dietitian”, a person who is licensed pursuant to the provisions of sections 324.200 to 324.225 to engage in the practice of dietetics or medical nutrition therapy;
(8) “Medical nutrition therapy”, the provision of nutrition care services for the treatment or management of a disease or medical condition;
(9) “Registered dietitian” or “registered dietitian nutritionist”, a person who:
(a) Has completed a minimum of a baccalaureate degree granted by a United States regionally accredited college or university or foreign equivalent;
(b) Completed the academic requirements of a didactic program in dietetics, as approved by ACEND;
(c) Successfully completed the registration examination for dietitians; and
(d) Accrued seventy-five hours of approved continuing professional units every five years; as determined by the Committee on Dietetic Registration.