Unqualified people giving advice?

[Vicks]

hey everyone I have a question for you. Whenever I go into a book store, or any store with magazines ect... I notice that their are so many books and magazines about weight this and that. And my question is this. How can someone who isn't even liscened give nutritinoal advice? The example that sticks out in my head imparticular is Suzzanne Summers. WOmen I work with use her book. And all I can think when I hear them is "so does ms. Summers have a nutritionist degree?" I mean if you think about it so much information out there is written by unqualified people. I would never pick up a book someone had written on lets say heart surgery, if they werne't' a surgeon.

So what do you guys think?

vicks (victoria)

[dreya]

Good point, especially since I actually read one of Suzanne Somers' books and it is full of completely unscientific, ridiculous advice about nutrition. Well, since she isn't using a protected title, like "registered dietician" or "MD" or something, she can just give bad advice and people are basically expected to look out for themselves....somewhere in her book there's probably a little disclaimer about consulting with your physician before beginning any weight-loss program, etc....

[BoxingGirl]

Very good observation Vicks
As a book store employee I can totally relate to what you are saying about non-educated authors esp. in relation to Nut./Diet books. When customers come in and ask for good diet books I always point then in the direction of books like the Thirty/Thirty/Fourty Life Book (Thirty %Pro, Thirty% Fat, Fourty % Carb) or Healthy at Any Weight. I also suggest that they consult with a Nutritionist for the best advice. When I was a supervisor at the store Diet/Wt Loss/Cooking sections were under my supervision so I became very well versed with these books and I can tell you that there are far too many quack authors.
However I am also very well aware that often times they throw a celebrity face on the cover in order to drive sales and that there are a slew of far more educated people actually writing the book (not true with Ms. Sommers though) So I suggest that people actually spend time reading the book and looking at the fine print before purchasing any advice type book.

[infinitepiphany]

vicks, you have read my mind. i bought a nutrition book last weekend, and finding one that WANST a crock took some work. even in stores who separatedthe "diet" books from the "real nutrition" books, every other book was someones magic cure for fat, disease, or longevity. it was so difficult to find a book!

while i was trying to find a certain book that i later found out was out of print, i mentioned to a bookstore clerk my fristrations with nutrition books and their authors. she was like, oh, well, im a diabetic, and my rn told me to not eat much from X major food group. and i wanted to cover my face and *sigh* and yell, "well duh! you have no insulin to break it down! i however, do, and thusly i need that particular food." we get so much unwanted, uneducated advice, and it just irritates to fire out of me.

the american dietician association has a booklist they recommend, if you are interested. the webiste is something like - www.eatright.org. or go to google and run a search for it.

[Alexandra]

Hi Vicks,

I disagree. I think that a person can study a subject and make observations and conclusions on his own and become as knowledgeable as a person who has attained a degree. In addition, a degee does not necessarily assert that a person is truly proficient in the subject; an individual could simply do the minimum requirements for earning the degree and not really have a thorough understanding in the field. I agree that some of the "magic cure-all" books are absurd and the authors would probably be reluctant to employ their recommendations on themselves, but if a person has logical evidence that something is effective and has scrupulously pondered all relevant aspects of the subject, then I whole-heartedly support the writing, publishing, and sharing of his information. Perhaps another person will benefit from his ideas as he himself has.

Lilly

[dreya]

Yeah, Lilly, I think someone may be educated about a topic enough to give advice without having a degree - after all, we all give each other advice about our eating disorders and few of us are doctors or psychologists - but there are many authors who appear to have not only no degree/license but very little knowledge about the topic as well. I'm not saying that people such as Suzanne Somers shouldn't be able to write their opinions about nutrition, etc. - after all, we all have that right to free speech! But we as consumers have to be careful to check out the people we take our advice from, and not put too much stock in the opinions of people who seem to have little education/training/knowledge of the topic.

dreya :pinkfishy

p.s. - on another topic, hey Lilly, cool Ayn Rand quotes! "Atlas Shrugged" is my favorite book.

[Jen]

Vicks,

I think it all boils down to freedom of speech and self expression. Personally I've never been to into self help books in general (Ok so Sark is an exception!) and I can't imagine taking advice from the lay public as anything more than that. Maybe my perspective is altered because my mother first was a RD and then aquired a PhD in Clinical Nutrition before going to medical school but I can't imagine putting a lot of stock in a nutrition book written by Suzanne Somers. I really don't think it's asking much to expect the rest of the world to posess such common sense.

What I think I might object to is when people try make themselves appear as if they have credentials. For example by using Dr. to write a health book when in reality their PhD in astrology was obtained over the internet or by blatantly lying about degrees they have in the case of Ms Claude-Pierre of Montreaux Infamy. Just my thoughts as always.

:love,
Jen :bear

[SanFran]

Vicks,
I have to agree that it is misleading to see people who are touted as "experts" who don't have degrees in what they are talking about and are selling utter bullshit.

However, since freedom of speech is so stronly valued in our country, that's the way it is. I do think people without degrees can sometimes be knoweldgeable about a subject, but in the case of nutrition/diet, there are just so many "experts" trying to sell their diet that it's really rediculous. And it's really sad that the general public buys into it.

[rpinsc]

I think it is one thing to give advice about a persons hair style or the color of paint for a room in your house, but when it comes to health issues I think one should be a little careful. In my mind sharing information in this forum is different from someone "professing" to be an expert and trying to capitalize on it by selling a book or tape. I do believe people should talk about these issues. At least here in this forum you are usually sharing information with someone that is going through the same thing you are going through.

Ron