Primary Care Dietitians

WellSouth has five New Zealand Registered Dietitians that cover all of Otago and Southland.

The Dietitians work with WellSouth’s Long Term Conditions Team to help people and whānau manage one or more of the following:

  • Pre-diabetes

  • Type 2 diabetes

  • Cardiovascular disease (CVD) including:

  • Heart disease

  • High cholesterol

  • High blood pressure

  • Nutrition related concerns such as yo-yo dieting, weight cycling or any eating behaviours that cause distress but are not an eating disorder

  • Micronutrient deficiencies related to diet, including in vegetarian and vegan diets

  • Upper gastrointestinal problems e.g. peptic ulcer, indigestion, hiatus hernia

  • Gout

  • Constipation

  • Diverticular disease

  • Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease

  • Chronic Kidney Disease Stage 1 - 3 with no electrolyte abnormalities

  • Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS)

  • Infertility

  • Nutrition advice for pregnancy and breastfeeding

  • Young fussy eaters with no faltering growth, underlying health problems or nutrient deficiencies

  • Coeliac disease

 

The range of services offered by the Dietitians at WellSouth means that there is something to suit everyone, including those living rurally.  All of our services are completely FREE and are provided by our responsive and qualified team.

If you are ready to make positive lifestyle changes and would like to attend one of our group sessions, you can contact us at dietitians@wellsouth.org.nz for more details about what we can offer you. 

Alternatively, you can be referred through your GP, Practice Nurse, Health Coach or Green Prescription Coordinator for nutrition advice if you meet any of the above criteria.

Services

Group Education Programmes

We offer fun and interactive Healthy Eating and other exciting programmes to support people to better manage their own health:

Healthy Eating Groups - Kai For Life

Self-management diabetes group

Walking Away (Prediabetes Education) Groups

Coeliac support groups

Individual Appointments

We also offer one-to-one appointments if you have at least one of the conditions above, which are interactive and focused on working with you to set goals to improve your eating.  

These can be in-person in Dunedin, Alexandra or Invercargill, or via telephone or video consultation, whichever suits you best.

 

FAQs

What can I expect when I see the dietitian?

The initial appointment is usually up to 45 minutes. We will be having a good chat about your goals, we will listen to what’s most concerning you about your health and nutrition and what you want to achieve.  Your typical eating and drinking habits will be discussed, as well as your relationship with food and your body, and any concerns around managing nutrition-related conditions (e.g. diabetes, high cholesterol) and you will be guided as to how you can make changes to help you get towards your goals.

Note:  We are Dietitians who don’t believe in dieting!  We believe in focusing on your health rather than your weight.  We won’t be handing you a meal plan and a long list of food not to eat, because we know from research and years from working in this area that dieting to lose weight is not helpful and can be harmful.  We don’t discount the fact that weight loss may be a desire of yours and we won’t judge you for this. Instead we will work together on improving your health and wellbeing in the body you have now. 

 

How many appointments will I see the Dietitian for?

We usually see people for the initial one-hour appointment and then up to three further 30 minute follow up appointments if required, so a total of four are available to you.  This does depend on your needs, however generally, once you are familiar with the goals to improve your diet and you have had a chance to work on making lifestyle changes, we discharge you back to your GP team for ongoing support. 

 

Can I bring someone with me?

Absolutely.  We encourage whānau, friends, and support people to attend especially if they have an influence on what you eat (do the shopping/cooking).

 

How much does an appointment cost?

Nothing. It’s absolutely FREE for you.

 

Where are your nutrition clinics based?
Dunedin:

WellSouth, Level 2 Cargill House, 333 Princes Street, Dunedin 9054

0800 477 155

Invercargill:

WellSouth, 40 Clyde Street, Invercargill 9810

0800 800 249

Central Otago:

Currently face to face appointments are only offered in Alexandra

0800 477 155

 

All consultations can also be done online via video call or via telephone.

 

If you are a health professional who would like to refer someone to our service here is the form you can use.

 

Learn More