Page 100 - Nutrition Counseling and Education Skills: A Guide for Professionals

different stages, the various constructs and processes are used, to a greater or lesser extent, to promote
movement through the stages.

Many health interventions and educational programs are action oriented, assuming that people who arrive
for counseling are ready to make changes. However, a large number of people are in denial or resistant to
change. Others may be thinking about it, and a few may be ready to change. Assuming that the client is
prepared to change eating and exercise behaviors can be counterproductive.

People do not change their food choices because they know they have a health problem that requires
change. It is a challenge to help people make positive dietary changes and motivate them to continue healthful
choices for a lifetime. The key to successful nutrition counseling and education is to assess and identify the
person’s stage or readiness for change and match the interventions to it. Different counseling strategies are
needed, for example, for those resisting efforts to change. Using the appropriate intervention should increase
the effectiveness, assist the client in progressing to the next SOC because of enhanced motivation and
readiness, and reduce the likelihood of dropping out of treatment because the intervention was not
appropriate.

Figure 5-1 ■ Clients progress through Stages of Change.

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