Clare Thornton-Wood
RD BSc(Hons) PhD MBDA
Specialist Dietitian
Registered Dietitians (RDs) are the only qualified health professionals that assess, diagnose and treat dietary and nutritional problems. For children and young people their dietary intake is particularly important to provide all the nutrients required for growth and good health. Children with feeding and eating issues often have diets that include only a small range of foods. A dietitian can analyse their diet using a computerised analysis programme, identify any nutritional deficiencies and provide bespoke support to suggest changes with the aim of providing everything needed for health and growth.
About Clare
Clare works as a Lead Principal Dietitian for a hospital on the South Coast, and previously for 5 years up to April 2023 as a paediatric dietitian at Great Ormond Street Hospital for children where she was Clinical Lead for the Feeding and Eating Disorder Service. Prior to these roles, Clare worked in Acute and community NHS settings and also at a boarding school for children with severe epilepsy.
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Clare graduated from the University of Surrey with a BSc in Nutrition and Dietetics and is a Registered Dietitian (RD). Clare has specialised in paediatrics for the past 12 years, undertaking additional training in paediatrics, including taking three MSc Modules in Paediatric Dietetics at the University of Plymouth. Clare has experience in feeding and eating difficulties including ARFID, eating disorders, allergy, diabetes and working with children and young people with ASD and ADHD.
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Clare is Vice Chair of the British Dietetic Society (BDA) ARFID Sub-Group and an author of the award winning Position Statement on the 'Role of Dietitians in the Treatment of Children and Young People with ARFID' and a number of other resources. Clare has presented on ARFID at various conferences and study days in the UK and abroad.
Alongside her clinical practice Clare is a regular contributor to the media, appearing as a dietitian on the TV, radio and written press. Clare has contributed to a number of TV and radio programmes behind the scenes and on camera. Clare works with food companies in product development and recipe analysis. In 2023 and 2019 Clare was awarded BDA Media Spokesperson of the Year.