Yasmin Alam
Age: 25
Job Title: Community Dietitian
Lives: Leyton
Place of Work: Greenman Medical Centre, Leytonstone
Educational Background: GCSEs, A-Levels & Degree
Date of Interview: 15th May 2006
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Yasmin is a Community Dietitian, which she tells me is all about food. Great I thought, I love food, we’ll have lots in common. I soon realise however that Yasmin is dedicated to food much more seriously than I am, and is highly qualified to advise people on the best diet for them in pretty much any situation.
Yasmin is a Community Dietician, which means that she works with people in the community - based in a Medical Centre in Leytonstone. The bright and modern centre acts as the hub for the work they do but much of their patient contact is out at people’s homes, in schools and community health centres.
Does your work focus on helping people lose weight?
“Well, weight loss forms part of the work we do, but it is not just about weight itself in terms of looking slim, it is about helping people eat the things that will benefit their body most. This in some cases can mean eating more, or eating foods that will help weight gain during an illness or after an operation for example. But mostly it is around establishing a healthy diet for people which includes a balance of different foods.”
“When we are working with patients we are very often complimenting the work done by other health professionals who are providing treatment for an illness or injury where a change to the person’s diet will aid their recovery.”
“If a person is suffering with Angina for example (Angina is pain caused by a narrowing of the arteries which restricts blood flow to the heart) a change in diet would be one way they could reduce the risk of further heart related problems. We work with people to help them eat a more balanced diet. This alone will not cure the patient but it will certainly help to treat the patient and prevent the problem reoccurring.”
Education
Looking around the centre that Yasmin works in it is clear that as well as helping treat people who need dietary help as part of their treatment, much of their work is around prevention of illness through education and advice. There are posters and flyers which help people understand what a balanced and healthy diet is and what the effects of an unhealthy diet are on the body.
Did you know for example that being overweight can make you more likely to get cancer? (I didn’t, and I decided that after the interview I would not go for the Quarter Pounder with cheese I had promised myself!)
Awareness around obesity is much higher these days and that is testament to the good work that Yasmin and her colleagues do every day.
“We often go into schools and community groups and have even started working in shopping centres with information to help people realise that they can make a real difference to their health by the way they eat.”
It’s the people
“This is the area of the job that I find most stimulating – I get to work with many different people every day, in all sorts of places and make a clear difference to their lives. Whether it is helping a patient who has heart disease, or helping someone realise that they can prevent problems later in life by changing their diet, it is very rewarding.”
Yasmin is confident, has studied hard to achieve her degree in Human Nutrition & Dietetics and clearly enjoys her job.
“I was unsure what I wanted to do when I was 16 / 17 and thinking about a possible career. I enjoyed sciences so continued this through A-Level and then spotted the course at London Metropolitan University in the UCAS handbook. The requirement is to have A-level Chemistry, which I was taking, but you can also do a foundation course to enter the course.”
Kings College London also offer a Nutrition and Dietetics course if you are keen to study in London, as well as other universities around the country.
“I had a fun 4 years at university and can thoroughly recommend the course. You will get some practical experience as you go through the course and this will give you a taster of what to expect once you start working.”
“My advice is if you’re looking for a career which is people focused, has lots of variety and involves working in different locations, then perhaps consider Nutrition and Dietetics. I’m glad I did.”
If you are interested in Deitetics or any other Allied Healthcare professions then you can find out more at: nhscareers.nhs.uk///careers/ahp/index.html
Also of interest might be the British Dietetic Association where you can find out answers to any questions you might have. bda.uk.com