Natalie Digate Muth, MD, MPH, RD
Natalie Digate Muth, MD, MPH, RD
Article Archive
Stress triggers a series of reactions in the human body:
Did you know that where you live may be more important than your family tree in predicting health disparities and health longevity?
Once a client has decided to make nutritional changes to support weight loss, you can play a key role in developing an action plan that is most likely to support those changes and contribute to long-term adherence. following are seven strategies a client can use to support adherence to a particular diet, or rather “eating plan” or “lifestyle change.”
The ongoing and stubborn health epidemic in the United States, combined with healthcare reform and a growing body of behavior change research, has sparked a revolution. It has become clear that “expert advice” does not translate into behavior change for people who are not ready to change. After all, despite doctors’ orders, nearly a third of prescriptions are left unfilled (Tamblyn et al. 2014). Despite federal dietary guidelines, the average American’s food intake lines up with MyPlate recommendations on only 2% of days (NPD Group 2011).
The following chart offers a quick reference to some of the most popular diets. Use it to help you guide clients
toward the best eating plan choices for them.
Since there is no one “best” diet, and since adherence to a new eating and exercise plan is the most important predictor of whether someone will lose weight and keep it off, providing a simple answer to the question “So, what do you think about this diet?” is unlikely to be helpful. With adherence— rather than the number of fat grams or carbohydrates—being the most crucial factor, the objective changes from providing a client with information about which diet is best to supporting a client in making changes that he or she not only
is ready to make but can feasibly sustain.
Fitness professionals should discuss nutrition with their clients.
Historically, many fitness pros have either avoided nutrition
discussions for fear of straying outside their scope of practice or gone
overboard by exceeding their scope of practice—recommending nutritional
supplements or individualized meal plans.
There is a better way: Staying within scope of practice while adopting a
coaching philosophy that uses proven methods of behavior change.
Stress and pain diminish quality of life for millionsofAmericansandcostbillionsin healthcare expenses and lost wages.
At any given time, over 100 million Americans are on a diet (MarketResearch .com 2014). That’s about a third of the U.S. population. Despite the hundreds of best- seller diet books and the $60-plus billion Americans spend trying to lose weight each year (Marketdata Enterprises 2014), permanent weight loss remains elusive for most. Even so, dozens of diets remain on the market, each with ardent followers and outspoken opponents.
5 Tips on Obtaining Physician Referrals
Many fitness professionals may not know where to begin when attempting to build a career in medical fitness. These five communication strategies can help fitness professionals obtain physician referrals:
With the passage and implementation of the Affordable Care Act, U.S. healthcare policy is placing an unprecedented value on prevention—a field that fitness pro- fessionals know well.
There is no better place to start addressing your nutrition needs than in your pantry. Stocking it with meal essentials can help you to build more nutritious meals and choose healthier snacks. Get ready for healthy eating habits in 2014 by including the following pantry building blocks on your grocery list:
For fitness professionals looking to increase their impact inside and outside the gym, talking nutrition with clients is essential. And what better place to start than with a pantry raid? Whether at the client’s house, through a demo in the studio or gym or by video or a virtual tour, fitness professionals can help clients move closer to their health, weight and fitness goals by coaching them through a pantry cleanout and restock.
?It is well known that the United States faces a childhood obesity epidemic. In fact, 81% of respondents in a poll on the topic considered childhood obesity a serious concern and two-thirds believed the problem was getting worse (Hassink, Hill & Biddinger 2011). Actually, national surveys show a stabilization of childhood obesity rates and even small declines in some localities (RWJF 2012).
?Fitness professionals are an important part of the solution to the childhood obesity epidemic. One of the most compelling studies to demonstrate success in combating childhood obesity involved MEND (Mind, Exercise, Nutrition, Do It), an intervention in which fitness professionals who were trained as health coaches delivered a 24-session curriculum to children and families over 3 months in communities and schools.
?It is well known that the United States faces a childhood obesity epidemic. In fact, 81% of respondents in a poll on the topic considered childhood obesity a serious concern and two-thirds believed the problem was getting worse (Hassink, Hill & Biddinger 2011). Actually, national surveys show a stabilization of childhood obesity rates and even small declines in some localities (RWJF 2012).
Fitness professionals are increasingly bombarded with nutrition questions from clients, friends and distant acquaintances. From the merits of specific vitamins and performance-
enhancing supplements to popular diets, nutrition to improve athletic performance and how to eat to lose those last 5 pounds, nutrition information is in demand. And who better to give it than a trusted fitness expert, who, the consumer supposes, is equally well versed in nutrition?
As Americans have continued to eat more and exercise less over the past decade, health and fitness experts have focused their efforts on inspiring healthful change one individual at a time. Unfortunately, this approach has not improved the nation’s obesity crisis, nor has it increased adherence to healthful eating habits and regular physical activity programs. This is not necessarily because people lack the willpower and motivation to change; it is more because our very environment discourages many health-promoting behaviors.
High-protein diets—and their promises of muscle gain, weight loss and improved health—appeal to a wide diversity of people, from athletes to dieters. But how much and what kind of protein is best? More important, does the scientific research support the potential health benefits of this macronutrient?
College marks the transition from adolescence to adulthood, a time for increasing independence, pursuing dreams, exploring personal and professional goals—and for too many, less exercise and more girth, which gives rise to a phenomenon known as the “freshman 15” weight gain (Racette et al. 2008). In fact, when nearly 20,000 college students were surveyed at…
