An obese nutritionist: would you be her patient?

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Replies

  • msf74
    msf74 Posts: 3,498 Member
    Mr_Knight wrote: »
    msf74 wrote: »
    Can we assume simply because someone is slim they are healthy and vice versa?

    Strawman.

    If p then q doesn't imply if q then p.

    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.)
  • LoneWolfRunner
    LoneWolfRunner Posts: 1,160 Member
    No way. I would keep thinking her ideas didn't work.
  • scottacular
    scottacular Posts: 597 Member
    7elizamae 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.

  • Mr_Knight
    Mr_Knight Posts: 9,532 Member
    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.

  • uconnwinsnc1
    uconnwinsnc1 Posts: 902 Member
    edited December 2014
    "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. ;)
  • Teddy_B
    Teddy_B Posts: 69 Member
    edited December 2014
    JoRocka wrote: »
    well that's not fair- every person I know who works in psychology is effed up- that's one of the reasons they are in that field LOL.



    To be even more fair, almost everyone is effed up in one way or another.

    We all have our issues.
  • Mr_Knight
    Mr_Knight Posts: 9,532 Member
    edited December 2014
    msf74 wrote: »
    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".
  • goddessofawesome
    goddessofawesome Posts: 563 Member
    7elizamae 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?

  • BrianSharpe
    BrianSharpe Posts: 9,249 Member
    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......
  • 999tigger
    999tigger Posts: 5,235 Member
    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.
  • AliceDark
    AliceDark Posts: 3,886 Member
    How the nutritionist looks is far less important than how her other clients are progressing. Does she know her *kitten*, and can she help her clients? If so, I don't care what she looks like.
  • msf74
    msf74 Posts: 3,498 Member
    Mr_Knight wrote: »
    msf74 wrote: »
    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.

    Yes, I get that.

    I was making a general observation on the ideas that were getting put out in the thread as a whole which I found rather revealing.

    The only thing we can assume about an obese person is that they have eaten more calories over time than their body needs to maintain itself yet many people seem to be conflating this into health as a whole or knowledge.

    Which is nonsensical in my view.
  • Mr_Knight
    Mr_Knight Posts: 9,532 Member
    AliceDark wrote: »
    How the nutritionist looks is far less important than how her other clients are progressing. Does she know her *kitten*, and can she help her clients? If so, I don't care what she looks like.

    Except you can't actually know how the clients are doing...
  • adriantrufo
    adriantrufo Posts: 5 Member
    No, simply because while s/he might know what s/he's talking about nutrition-wise she's obviously not following what s/he's telling her clients.

    There have been similar discussions here except it's "Would you go to an unfit personal trainer" and again, for me the answer is no for the same reasons as the obese nutritionist.

    So, I guess that rules out male OB/GYNs then? Or female prostate specialists...? ;)

    It´s not the same at all.
    Having a different genre is not the same as fat/lack of motivation/wrong knowledge.
  • TheVirgoddess
    TheVirgoddess Posts: 4,535 Member
    Mr_Knight wrote: »
    AliceDark wrote: »
    How the nutritionist looks is far less important than how her other clients are progressing. Does she know her *kitten*, and can she help her clients? If so, I don't care what she looks like.

    Except you can't actually know how the clients are doing...

    Just like you can't actually know why she's obese.......
  • goddessofawesome
    goddessofawesome Posts: 563 Member
    Mr_Knight wrote: »
    AliceDark wrote: »
    How the nutritionist looks is far less important than how her other clients are progressing. Does she know her *kitten*, and can she help her clients? If so, I don't care what she looks like.

    Except you can't actually know how the clients are doing...

    Just like you can't actually know why she's obese.......

    No but one can speculate and that is pretty much what this entire thread has been about.
  • AliceDark
    AliceDark Posts: 3,886 Member
    Mr_Knight wrote: »
    AliceDark wrote: »
    How the nutritionist looks is far less important than how her other clients are progressing. Does she know her *kitten*, and can she help her clients? If so, I don't care what she looks like.

    Except you can't actually know how the clients are doing...
    Why not? If she's been in business for awhile, she should have testimonials, success stories or before/after pictures. Or you could just ask about the types of people they typically work with and ask them to talk about their successes. The OP asked about a nutritionist, not a dietician who might be working in a more medical-focused practice, so a nutritionist should have some kind of marketing collateral that demonstrates their successes.

  • Booksandbeaches
    Booksandbeaches Posts: 1,791 Member
    No, I wouldn't.
  • msf74
    msf74 Posts: 3,498 Member
    edited December 2014
    Mr_Knight wrote: »
    AliceDark wrote: »
    How the nutritionist looks is far less important than how her other clients are progressing. Does she know her *kitten*, and can she help her clients? If so, I don't care what she looks like.

    Except you can't actually know how the clients are doing...

    Just like you can't actually know why she's obese.......

    No but one can speculate and that is pretty much what this entire thread has been about.

    Sure, but then we could go further and ask ourselves if our assumptions are actually rational or if we looked at them critically if they can be justified.
  • Mr_Knight
    Mr_Knight Posts: 9,532 Member
    edited December 2014
    Mr_Knight wrote: »
    AliceDark wrote: »
    How the nutritionist looks is far less important than how her other clients are progressing. Does she know her *kitten*, and can she help her clients? If so, I don't care what she looks like.

    Except you can't actually know how the clients are doing...

    Just like you can't actually know why she's obese.......

    It doesn't matter why she's obese. There are plenty of healthy-looking nutritionists out there, and most people don't have time to wade through back stories.

    And that's why appearances DO matter....