by The Health Sciences Academy — Get free science updates here.
Fad diets, meal planning services, supplement vendors, and manufactured coaches bombard us with “nutrition” advice on a daily basis.
Everyone says that they have THE answer… and, unfortunately, masses of people believe them…
So, who really can give nutrition advice?
The answer: anyone who wants to.
Yes, you read that right!
Anyone can give nutrition advice, no matter how unregulated, uninformed, or just plain wrong it is…
This is why it’s so important to establish yourself as a professional- using certified, accredited, and credible science to back you up.
Giving the wrong advice isn’t just irresponsible, it can also cause serious damage to clients who are trusting pseudo-professionals with their health!
The goal of every properly trained nutrition professional is to HELP people. Without that training and education, you could be doing more harm than good…
The wrong advice can be harmful!
Over the years, many of us have seen people wooed by fad diets and self-proclaimed health gurus…
They throw thousands of dollars away on “workshops,” “courses,” retreats, supplements, and even meet and greets… and have nothing to show for it.
If there’s one thing we’ve learned it’s that fad diets aren’t sustainable and can lead to nutrient deficiencies, causing potential harm on a deeper level.
A healthy person who takes bad nutrition advice can easily throw their body off balance.
Imagine what could happen to a person who suffers from something like diabetes or anemia!
Examples of quack nutrition are everywhere…
And many of these celebrity “tips” include things like extreme caloric restrictions, food group restrictions, and mixed reviews on alcohol!
All things trained nutrition professionals can debunk in a matter of minutes!
Bad sources of information are abundant, and can lead to disordered eating, serious health problems, and actually decrease longevity…
This is why it’s so important to be a source of reason in a sea of strange, bizarre, and even dangerous nutrition claims.
Liability is no joke…
It’s absolutely essential to your career as a nutrition professional that you understand what you can and can’t do, legally.
Unless you have an accredited degree (different than a certification) in nutrition or a related field, you are NOT qualified to diagnose or treat any medical condition.
This is an extremely serious offense that can have disastrous results for your clients and for you…
Your client is trusting you.
If you decide to step in and give advice that’s more appropriate coming from a doctor, you’re making yourself liable and breaking the law.
Professionals who make false claims about their methods, including those who say certain nutrition can cure or adequately treat medical conditions, are courting disaster.
Now, we understand that proper exercise and nutrition can reduce obesity, help prevent heart disease, and even reduce the risk for cancer…
Sharing scientifically backed information with clients can be a great way to help them learn to live a healthier lifestyle…
But we can’t claim that eating our special blend of greens and taking (expensive) supplements are going to cure cancer, mental illness, or even baldness!
Never give advice based on an assessment that can only be completed by a licensed professional.
Who should be giving advice vs. who can…
Health and wellness have become so commercialised that it’s hard to scroll through a social media feed without being offered some supplement or nutritional advice.
“Influencers” will make outrageous health claims to endorse a product for a paycheque, and unaccredited “coaches” are always offering some magical quick fix.
Fortunately, getting your CPD accredited certifications and learning the science behind nutrition prepares you to give credible and safe advice to your clients.
You can help them assess their behaviours, dietary needs (within reason), baseline fitness, weight goals, and so much more!
There’s so much misinformation being circulated as fact, and you can help combat some of this…
An education gives you credibility.
Getting a certification in nutrition from a credible program means that you’re learning scientifically backed information being taught by qualified individuals.
You’ll be able to wade through the “unicorn” fad diets that promise “instant results while sitting on your bum and eating chocolate cake!”
And you can help debunk so many of the claims that are doing more harm than good.
The best part?
When someone tries to push these diets or trends, you’ll have the credibility and real knowledge to help your clients make the right decisions…
Because who can argue with science, right?
It takes a lot of serious dedication and personal drive to build a nutrition practice from the ground up. But we’ve developed certifications and resources to help you do just that!
