SISFFIT052 - Provide healthy eating information

Unit code: SISFFIT052 | Study level: TAFE

Credit points

N/A

Location

Footscray Park

Werribee

Prerequisites

N/A

Overview

This unit describes the performance outcomes, skills and knowledge required to provide general, and not individualised, information about healthy eating to fitness clients. Information is based on the main recommendations of the current Australian national dietary guidelines which aim to promote optimal health and wellbeing for generally healthy people.
The unit requires the ability to recognise situations that are beyond the scope of practice for fitness instructors, and to provide information about the types of medical and allied health professionals with expertise to advise on nutritional needs.This unit applies to group fitness and gym instructors who practise in settings such as fitness facilities, gyms, and leisure and community centres.

Assessment

For Melbourne campuses

Assessment tasks will be designed to reinforce & extend knowledge and skill competence within set & controlled parameters in accordance with each unit’s learning outcomes & performance criteria requirements, including the setting of work based practical application tasks designed to provide evidence of competence outcomes, within periodic and scheduled timelines.

Students will be expected to demonstrate the following required skills:
Evidence of the ability to complete tasks outlined in elements and performance criteria of this unit in the context of the job role, and:

provide healthy eating information from the Australian national dietary guidelines to three clients and include information about:

the five food groups and their recommended proportional daily intakes
discretionary foods that should be eaten only sometimes and in small amounts

according to actual client interactions or case studies:
identify three situations outside scope of own practice for providing nutrition advice
for each above situation:

advise client why their nutrition needs are outside scope of own role
provide information about the type of medical or allied health professional with relevant expertise.

Students will also be expected to demonstrate the following knowledge:
Demonstrated knowledge required to complete the tasks outlined in elements and performance criteria of this unit:

roles of medical and allied health professionals in providing nutritional advice and their expertise in addressing different needs:

accredited practising dietitians (APD)
accredited sports dietitians (AccSD)
general practitioners

differences and similarities between the roles and skills of dietitians and nutritionists
common consumer expectations of fitness instructors to provide nutrition and weight management advice, and:

purpose and content of established industry guidelines for scope of practice for fitness instructors in providing nutrition advice
own role and limitations in providing nutritional advice to clients
techniques used to positively communicate with clients about scope of own role and knowledge
how industry guidelines assist fitness instructors to appropriately respond to client enquiries outside their scope of practice

opportunities for fitness instructors to promote and support healthy eating with clients
how nutritional needs differ for special population clients, and characteristics of clients who require nutrition advice beyond fitness instructor scope of practice:

those with chronic conditions
the frail elderly
pregnant and breastfeeding women
clients who show signs of having an eating disorder as identified in established industry guidelines
any client seeking individualised information outside the scope of the population level recommendations in national dietary guidelines

risks to clients of fitness instructors providing nutrition-related advice outside scope of practice:

nutrient deficiencies and imbalances
exposure to low energy availability (LEA) and overview of LEA impacts
negative impact on existing health conditions
food intolerance and allergy adverse reactions
negative food-drug interactions
nutrition confusion
financial burden of product recommendations

risks to fitness instructors of providing nutrition-related advice outside scope of practice, specifically the potential professional, legal and financial consequences
key contents of current Australian national dietary guidelines and associated resources:

the principal recommendations and guidelines
characteristics and examples of types of foods in the five food groups
proportions of the five food groups recommended for consumption each day
characteristics and examples of discretionary foods to be avoided

healthy eating:

benefits of healthy eating
relationship to physical wellbeing
how healthy eating can impact on client health and fitness goals and outcomes
the role of healthy eating in a fitness program and basic aspects of how nutrition and exercise interrelate

potential impacts of unhealthy food choices and eating patterns on general health and wellbeing and:

diet-related risk factors for chronic disease, including high cholesterol, high blood pressure and obesity
risk of chronic diseases including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and some types of cancers

effects of cultural and social influences on food choices.

Required reading

The qualified trainer and assessor will provide teaching and learning materials as required in the form of workbooks produced by the VUPolytechnic and/or via the VU Polytechnic e-learning system.