Scope of Practice

Some people are quite willing to take advice on what to ingest [eat, drink] from a non-qualified person.

But: is it legal and/or ethical for ‘anyone’ to dispense nutrition and diet advice, hand over or share a ‘Diet Prescription’, a so called ‘One-fits-all Diet-Plan’, a ‘Weight Loss Programme’, or ‘Diet Therapy’, not taking into account nutrition basics, individual lifestyle, health of the recipient and his/her special requirement?
Answer: yes and no.

One has to differentiate between general, non-specific well-meant health tips, such as guidance on sufficient hydration, eating a snack prior exercise, not to eat unhealthy foods and similar advice.

Legality & Ethics

But it is not legal or ethical to provide specific advice, to offer/distribute diet plans, nutrition programmes and diet therapies, to even recommend an increase of protein intake or decrease/exclude macro/micronutrients, unless the individual is qualified (and registered) in the field of nutrition/dietetics and can justify and explain action with reason.

Providing more than general tips (even if requested) can lead to liability if something goes wrong, because the advice given was not within the scope of practice.

Passing on a diet therapy or prescription to another individual makes you responsible and even liable.

“Each one of the substances of a man’s diet acts upon his body and changes it in some way, and upon these changes his whole life depends, whether he be in health, in sickness, or convalescent.”(Hippocrates 460BC – 370 BC)

Above is an excerpt from EAT. DRINK. LIVE!  Be Healthy, Stay Fit, Feel Great
EAT. DRINK. LIVE!  Be Healthy, Stay Fit, Feel Great.
http://sigrid-desilva.com/eat-drink-live

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