There are no state laws, so anyone can legally give nutritional advice. There are no state laws, but there are restrictions on when titles such as dietician or nutritionist can be used. Certification is required to give nutritional advice and a license from a state agency is required to act as a personal trainer and nutritionist.
Nutrition practice acts regulate who can provide nutritional advice. Learn how this affects your profession. NEW YORK In California, Heather Del Castillo offered natural eating advice as a health coach. But in Florida, the title didn’t qualify her to give nutrition advice.
Get instant access to AFPA’s latest health and wellness insights, exclusive offers and innovative tips to help you become a health, fitness or nutrition professional you can trust. And if you’re really in doubt, seek legal advice to clarify the rules and regulations where you live and work. Earning their degree and passing a licensing exam qualifies RDs to offer medical nutrition therapy (MNT), which treats medical conditions (such as diabetes) through a tailored diet and close monitoring. The company has fought against licensing laws for fitness trainers and says it will fight any attempts at new, stricter dietary licensing laws that might prevent its trainers from giving nutrition advice.
While there is no specific certification needed to talk about nutrition as a health or fitness professional, it is best to seek out a rigorous and respected programme that covers nutrition science, biochemistry, physiology, anatomy and other related topics. In other words, to help a client transform their body, you have to address movement, lifestyle and nutrition. What you cannot do is “prescribe nutritional supplements such as fish oil to “treat cardiovascular disease, diabetes or other health conditions”. Numerous food bloggers and writers dispense nutritional advice with ease, and some don’t even cite any particular studies or research, but seem to come up with these ideas on their own.
Some have been told that they are not qualified to discuss food with their clients, that it might even be illegal. Many clients come to us as nutritionists, nutrition coaches or personal trainers with nutrition certifications and want us to tell them what to eat, how much to eat and when to eat it. Clients who are trying to achieve optimal health through better food choices may be legally consulted. Nutrition services can also be a big boost to your bottom line, both in terms of improved outcomes and billable services.
This is simply an interpretation of state statutes and regulations, and cannot substitute for legal advice. As you can see, it is not diagnosing health problems or prescribing nutritional interventions to treat diseases or their symptoms.
