Page 215 - Nutrition Counseling and Education Skills: A Guide for Professionals

9C H A P T E R

Summary

Good nutrition is essential to the health, self-sufficiency, and quality of life throughout the life span.
Nutrition professionals need to acquire the knowledge and skills necessary to counsel and educate people of all
ages with a variety of food and nutrition challenges. Choosing food is a daily and highly personal activity.
Some individuals will need to focus on maintaining the desire to eat just to reduce the risk of weight loss and
undernutrition. Others will require extensive behavioral counseling to attain and maintain healthy body
weight to reduce potential health risks.

The NCP, as presented in Chapter 1, is a complementary framework for nutrition care throughout the life
span. The NCP concepts (assessment, diagnosis, intervention, monitoring, and evaluation) mirror the life
span growth and change process. The nutrition counselor should assess and identify potential problems and
their effects on nutritional status. The counselor should establish individualized plans for intervention that
include adaptations for each life span group. They need to document how their education strategies reduce
healthcare costs and achieve better health outcomes through prevention of disease or related complications
throughout the life span.

CASE ANALYSIS 6

Develop written documentation for each client session of the family unit incorporating the NCP model as
applicable.

Nutrition professionals deliver care as an essential role as a member of the interdisciplinary healthcare team
throughout the life span. Prevention and treatment of chronic diet-related diseases offer an opportunity for
nutrition counselors to become involved in long-term effective strategies to achieve the highest quality of life.

Review and Discussion Questions

1. List two goals of nutrition counseling for prenatal or pregnant women.
2. In counseling preschool-age and school-age children, what factors should be assessed? What educational and intervention strategies are

recommended for children?
3. In dealing with adolescent boys and girls, what factors should be assessed?
4. What strategies are helpful in working with families?
5. What factors may have an impact on the diet and nutrition of older adults?
6. Identify three education strategies that support the self-management concept in chronic diet-related disease conditions.

Suggested Activities

1. Watch a child’s television program. While doing so, note the number of food advertisements. Did these commercials make you want to
consume the food item? Do they promote healthy eating?

2. Interview a nutrition professional who works with children or adolescents. Ask questions about the nutritional challenges encountered when
counseling diverse populations.

3. Interview the mother or caregiver of a child. Ask what strategies she or he uses to encourage healthy eating habits and introduce new foods

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