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March is designated as National Nutrition Month  by Peggy Fleming MUSC Dietetic Intern Nutritionists, diet therapists, nutrition specialists, clinical nutritionists and others all claim to be authorities on nutrition information.  So, who would you trust to give you accurate nutrition information? It is the registered dietitian who is the expert in the field of nutrition. March is National Nutrition Month.  Many do not realize that anyone can be called nutritionist or diet therapist. No qualifying factors are required to use that terminology.  But an internationally recognized authority in nutrition, the American Dietetic Association (ADA), closely regulates the process of becoming a registered dietitian and maintaining that registry.  Registered dietitians must complete an undergraduate program that is approved by the ADA, fulfill the requirements of an accredited internship, pass a registry exam, and complete continuing education requirements. The registered dietitian plays a major role in the prevention and control of disease, especially in South Carolina.  Obesity reduction alone could prevent 8,200 hospitalizations for coronary heart disease per year. If diet were used to control hypertension $203 million would be saved from heart disease and $106 million from stroke.  Each year, diabetes accounts for 14 percent of the total hospitalizations in South Carolina. As illustrated, registered dietitians can play an integral role in reducing morbidity and mortality in South Carolina and across the United States. The MUSC cafeteria area will be the center for National Nutrition Month activities including weekly information handouts, a guess-the-grams-of-fat contest, and daily nutrition fun facts through the audix system and broadcast e-mail messages.