An obese nutritionist: would you be her patient?
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no0
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It's like having a nurse or doctor who are smokers or alcoholics..they don't always practice what they preach0
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That would be an irrelevant example, seeing as the illiterate person doesn't actually have the knowledge to teach someone to read, whilst an obese nutritionist very well could have all the knowledge in the world - without applying it to him/her-self. Same as with the plumber-example someone gave further up, again comparing someone that doesn't have the required knowledge, with someone who does but does not apply it.
Personally, I'd agree with the person above who said to just ask about it, and then make up your mind. Maybe he/she has a reason, whether it be personal or not. So yeah, rather than thinking/talking to others/starting rumours/whatever, just ask straight out and decide for yourself.0 -
That would be an irrelevant example, seeing as the illiterate person doesn't actually have the knowledge to teach someone to read, whilst an obese nutritionist very well could have all the knowledge in the world - without applying it to him/her-self.
The only way to know for sure if a person is literate is to have them actually read.
The only way to know for sure if someone is nutritionally literate is to have them actually be healthy.
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I don't see why not. As long as her credentials, track record, and recommendations checked out.
Just because she knows all the rules, doesn't mean she personally has to follow them.
I agree with this. & who's to say she isn't following the rules or trying to follow them? For all you know, she's down 50 pounds and she's working to be healthier. I think it's interesting that so many people who have struggled with weight and presumably have been judged based on their weight would be so quick to judge someone else for the same thing.0 -
No, I wouldn't. I want the people who are supposed to guide me to a healthy lifestyle to look and be reasonably healthy.
I wouldn't get fashion advice from someone who looks sloppy, I wouldn't ask a person who looked lanky and weak to spot me at the gym, and I wouldn't get nutritional advice from someone who was obese.0 -
No, nor would I go to a hair dress with awful hair...ijs.0
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her weight wouldn't deter me from seeing her, maybe he is overweight due to a medical issue or maybe she is very knowledgeable in her field but has no will power.. looks can be deceiving, that's why you cannot judge a book by its cover, she may be the reason you reach your goals etc.. So with me, I would see her till she proved to me she wasn't knowledgeable at all, then THAT there would make my decision, NOT her weight.0
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In a word, NO!0
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Jokingly, I often say: Never trust a skinny chef or a fat dietitian.0
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Im a big girl, I am knowledgeable in eathing healthy, different styles of eating, health, ive read and obsessed about it my whole life, studied it, but still struggle with will power.. I know about exercise etc.. but have back issues that make it a bit harder for me to do some things and my weight hasn't helped... So I could be a perfect coach if I put myself out there, BUT as for me taking my own advise, its been a long hard struggling road. I know what I have to do, its just really hard for me. though I am getting better. :-)0
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Can we assume simply because someone is slim they are healthy and vice versa?
This thread is fascinating...0 -
do as I say... NOT as I do... 40 years ago I had a family doctor that was on the verge of retirement... I believe he was in is mid 80's when he finally sold his practice... anyway... at 80+ he was a cigar smoking scotch drinking obese giant of a man... BUT his diagnoses and his treatments were always spot on. WHo is to say... that the reason this "nutritionist" became a nutritionist was because of some real health challenges she is facing... such as Thyroid issues? My Mother became a elder care attendant .. NOT because she though helping old people was a noble cause.. BUT because she wanted to help 2 very specific "old People" in their formative years... (that's right her parents)...
as the cliché goes.. judge a book by its cover.. and you will miss some very interesting reading... and here we all are... debating whether picking a professional based on their appearance is a good thing??? aren't we hypocrites???0 -
Why not? I'm using My Fitness Pal to track all that stuff now, and it's not even a person.0
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I wouldn't. While there is no correlation between their knowledge/experience and their current physical condition, I can't get past the concept of an expert that doesn't apply his/her professional expertise to themselves.0
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JenAndSome wrote: »I would probably not go to a nutritionist at all unless I had special dietary needs. Having special dietary needs and eating too much are two different things.
this. And in that case I'd assume the obese nutritionist was an expert.
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LianaG1115 wrote: »It's like having a nurse or doctor who are smokers or alcoholics..they don't always practice what they preach
Would you go to an alcoholic or heavy smoking doctor when you're trying to quit those things?
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That would be an irrelevant example, seeing as the illiterate person doesn't actually have the knowledge to teach someone to read, whilst an obese nutritionist very well could have all the knowledge in the world - without applying it to him/her-self.
The only way to know for sure if a person is literate is to have them actually read.
The only way to know for sure if someone is nutritionally literate is to have them actually be healthy.
WAT?0 -
I don't know if I would. It is the same as a cardiologist or lung doctor (don't know the technical term lol) smoking and telling you how bad it is for you to smoke.
At the gym I go to, there are a lot of people walking around with the "personal trainer" shirts/sweaters on and I think to myself every time I see them I wouldn't ever pay them to be my personal trainer because they are really not all that fit, and I see them with McD's for breakfast all the time - and not a fruit & yogurt breakfast either.
However, that being said I have a lot of knowledge because I have a lot of weight to lose and I've learned a lot about it as I have gone through it. I could see that someone wouldn't want to listen to me because I still don't look like I even know anything because I'm still bigger. It's definitely a tough issue, but if you're going to be a professional then you should look the part. It would be like someone trying to be a hair stylist with horrible hair.0 -
Technically yes as the OP was talking about weight loss rather than health.
That said many people seem to be assuming that an obese person cannot have knowledge of a healthy lifestyle simply because their actions seem to contradict that (eating too much is pretty much the only thing we can assume here.)
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No way. I would keep thinking her ideas didn't work.0
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The title says it all: would you go to an obese nutritionist for weight-loss help?
This question came up in a group discussion -- there was disagreement. I said I'd post here and get some more opinions from the MFP board.
No, I only want to get advice from someone who has physical experience of practicing what they preach. You wouldn't learn how to drive a car from someone who has never driven themselves for example.
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RavenLibra wrote: »as the cliché goes.. judge a book by its cover.. and you will miss some very interesting reading...
That's only true if you don't choose another book.
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peachyfuzzle wrote: »"Those who can't do teach."
"Those who can't teach, do."
Teaching a random person is often harder than actually doing something on your own.
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That said many people seem to be assuming that an obese person cannot have knowledge of a healthy lifestyle simply because their actions seem to contradict that (eating too much is pretty much the only thing we can assume here.)
Except that's not what the OP said.
There is a difference between "they can't know" and "I have a finite amount of time to make a choice so I'm going to include "looking the part" as one of my criteria".0 -
scottacular wrote: »The title says it all: would you go to an obese nutritionist for weight-loss help?
This question came up in a group discussion -- there was disagreement. I said I'd post here and get some more opinions from the MFP board.
No, I only want to get advice from someone who has physical experience of practicing what they preach. You wouldn't learn how to drive a car from someone who has never driven themselves for example.
No you wouldn't. The consensus here though with this issue seems to be that if they have the knowledge it doesn't whether or not they practice what they teach because they have knowledge. So in your instance if the person who never drove has the knowledge on how to drive they can absolutely teach you. As someone quoted previously in the thread "those who can't do teach".
Sounds ridiculous when it's put that way, no?
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I wouldn't go to a nutritionist, I'd go to a Registered Dietician. You don't have to be a virtuoso guitarist to be a great teacher......0
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Assuming they had the qualifications, then yes. I always check and consider what people tell me and understand as much as I can anyway. TBF people on this forum are mostly overweight (including msyelf) but people dont mind dishing advice out.
They would be a better role model if they looked slim and healthy, but I tend to know when advice is good and always question when it appears to be at odds with what I already know.0
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