A dietitian translates your medical history, blood results, lifestyle and food preferences into an eating plan you can actually follow. That covers weight management, diabetes and other lifestyle conditions, digestive problems, sports nutrition and general healthy eating. It is practical work: what to buy, what to cook, how to eat out, and how to keep it going once the novelty wears off.

Both spellings refer to the same profession, and you will see each of them used in South Africa. "Dietitian" is the official spelling used by the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA) and by the Association for Dietetics in South Africa (ADSA), so that is the one used on registration certificates. "Dietician" is a common alternative spelling. Neither is wrong in everyday use.

See a dietitian if you have a medical reason to change how you eat — diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, digestive problems, pregnancy, or significant weight change. In South Africa "dietitian" is a protected title: it requires a four-year BSc in Dietetics, a year of community service, and registration with the HPCSA. "Nutritionist" is less strictly regulated, so qualifications vary widely. For general wellness advice either may suit you; for anything clinical, choose a registered dietitian.

No. A dietitian is a registered healthcare professional but not a medical doctor, and cannot prescribe medication — including weight-loss injections such as Ozempic, which only a doctor may prescribe. What a dietitian does is manage the nutrition side of your care, and work alongside your doctor. If you are already on medication, a dietitian helps you eat in a way that supports it.

At LJ Fitness Dietitian an initial 60-minute nutrition consultation is R700 and a 30-minute follow-up is R380. A combined 90-minute fitness and nutrition consultation is R1 200, with R450 follow-ups, and a fitness-only consultation is R500. Monthly coaching with weekly check-ins is R2 500. Prices are shown in full on this page before you book — there are no hidden add-ons.

Many South African medical schemes pay for dietitian consultations, usually from a savings account or a chronic or preventative-care benefit, and some cover them in full for a diagnosed condition such as diabetes. Cover differs by scheme and plan, so confirm with your scheme before your appointment and ask what they need on the invoice. You are welcome to ask about invoicing when you book.

It is worth it if you have tried to change how you eat and it has not held. The value is not a meal plan — it is having someone read your actual blood results, medical history and daily routine, and build something that fits your life and budget rather than a generic diet. Most people notice the difference in the follow-up, when the plan gets adjusted to what really happened.

The first session runs 60 minutes online. You will go through your medical and diet history, your blood results and body composition figures if you have them, and what you actually eat in a normal week. You leave with a personalised meal plan and clear next steps. Bring recent blood results if you have them, and any medication you take.

Every consultation is held online by video, so where you live makes no difference — clients book from Johannesburg, Pretoria, Cape Town, Durban, Bloemfontein and small towns with a decent connection. You need a phone or laptop and a quiet half hour. There is no travel, no waiting room and no parking.

Yes, and it is one of the highest-value reasons to see one. Nutrition is a core part of managing type 2 diabetes and pre-diabetes: which carbohydrates, how much, and how to space them across the day changes your blood glucose directly. Luka worked in public hospitals with lifestyle disease care and works alongside your doctor rather than replacing them.

Yes. Digestive symptoms are one of the most common reasons people see a dietitian, because the treatment is largely dietary. The usual approach is to identify trigger foods systematically rather than cutting out food groups on a guess — structured elimination approaches such as low-FODMAP are meant to be done with a dietitian, not alone, so that nothing nutritionally important gets dropped permanently. Mention digestive symptoms when you book so enough time is set aside.

Most people notice energy and digestion changes within two to three weeks, while body composition change is slower and steadier — roughly 0.5 to 1 kg a week is a realistic, sustainable rate. Anything faster usually costs you muscle and comes back. This is why follow-ups matter: the plan gets adjusted to your real results rather than to a projection.