It is well accepted by the medical literature that polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is an extremely heterogeneous condition and that a multidisciplinary approach, involving gynecologists, endocrinologists, primary healthcare providers, mental health professionals, and nutritional professionals, especially dietitians, is fundamental to provide an immediate care and to counteract long-term risk factors related to the comorbidity of PCOS. Although lifestyle modifications are the first step intervention in the treatment of PCOS, unfortunately, the involvement of dietitian in clinical practice remains sporadic. The goal of this viewpoint is to put a greater emphasis on the role of dietitian in the management of PCOS by highlighting frequently faced difficulties in the clinical settings and the importance of a three-step nutritional care: accurate assessment; lifestyle, nutritional, and supplementary intervention; long-term follow-up. The intention is to raise awareness among dietitians themselves and other health providers as well as to express an exceeding necessity of evidence-based guidelines formulated specifically for nutritional professionals, which would allow a uniform approach with respect to heterogeneity and complexity of PCOS at the international level.
Keywords: Dietitian; Disordered eating; Eating disorders; Lean PCOS; Multidisciplinary approach; Nutritional intervention; PCOS; Treatment barriers.
Copyright © 2022 The Italian Diabetes Society, the Italian Society for the Study of Atherosclerosis, the Italian Society of Human Nutrition and the Department of Clinical Medicine and Surgery, Federico II University. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.