{"id":16002,"date":"2017-06-14T15:51:53","date_gmt":"2017-06-14T19:51:53","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/caloriecontrol.org\/addressing-weight-control-are-you-asking-your-patients-the-right-questions\/"},"modified":"2018-01-05T08:49:17","modified_gmt":"2018-01-05T13:49:17","slug":"addressing-weight-control-are-you-asking-your-patients-the-right-questions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/caloriecontrol.org\/addressing-weight-control-are-you-asking-your-patients-the-right-questions\/","title":{"rendered":"Addressing Weight Control: Are You Asking Your Patients the Right Questions?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Why Do People Eat What they Eat?<\/h2>\n

By Rosanne Rust MS, RDN, LDN\u00a0 \u2014<\/strong><\/em>
\nWhen working with patients, dietitians are trained to evaluate the nutrition status of clients, reviewing everything from medical history, to biochemical and anthropometric data, to lifestyle habits and dietary intake. We determine the best diet for individual clients based on this big picture. When it comes to the dietary evaluation, we don\u2019t just ask clients what they eat, we also ask about the timing of meals and snacks, their environment, and even the feelings associated with eating (hunger, mood).<\/p>\n

A crucial question that\u2019s often missing in diet evaluation is, \u201cwhy\u201d. Why do people eat what they eat? Asking this question, with curiosity and without judgement, will provide both you and your patient a lot of valuable information<\/a> and insight. Of course people should be eating when they are hungry and need fuel, but there are many other reasons people eat, and these behaviors need to be thoughtfully considered.<\/p>\n

Sugar\u2019s Role<\/h2>\n

While mainstream and social media often demonize certain ingredients and focuses on what not<\/em> to eat, I find it best to focus on what to add<\/em> to the diet (not what to take away). When healthy foods are added, they generally will displace the less healthy foods.\u00a0 In addition, it\u2019s also the behaviors <\/a>surrounding meals that really impact whether a healthy diet and lifestyle can be sustained.<\/p>\n

For example, sugar continues to receive headlines, suggesting that health will improve just by focusing on reducing sugar intake. Certainly, this is often not<\/em> the case. If an individual is using food to treat emotional challenges, a broad approach is required to get them on a healthier path. Emotional eating, binge eating and eating in response to cravings, have all been linked to weight gain, or regain in individuals who have lost weight.<\/p>\n

Defining Terms<\/h2>\n