Abstract

TRESCASTRO-LOPEZ, Eva María. The role of international health movement in the development of the Dietitian and Nutricionist profession in Spain. Rev Esp Nutr Hum Diet [online]. 2015, vol.19, n.1, pp.49-55. ISSN 2174-5145.  https://dx.doi.org/10.14306/renhyd.19.1.115.

During the first world war and the subsequent post-war period, hunger and malnutrition became such severe problems that Governments and international agencies were spurred into action. Between 1920 and 1930, a new culture of nutrition emerged in the global arena. Nutrition and dietetics began to receive careful consideration and national and international policies on nutrition started to take shape. During the interwar period, many countries created food hygiene services and launched national institutes of nutrition, and it was within these welfare and research scenarios that the first steps were taken towards professionalization of the role of dietitian and nutritionist, since the community approach taken to nutritional problems highlighted the need for trained professionals to apply knowledge of nutrition. This circumstance favored the creation of a professional role linked to a collective approach to the problem of malnutrition whilst maintaining its roots in the field of inpatient care and clinical nutrition. Nutrition attained its distinct professional identity above all in the context of public health.

Keywords : Nutritionists; Dietitians; History; 20th Century; Health Occupations; Spain.

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