SISFFIT053 - Support healthy eating for individual fitness clients

Unit code: SISFFIT053 | 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 identify individual client needs for healthy eating advice, and provide information that supports clients to establish healthier eating patterns. Information is based on the current Australian national dietary guidelines and associated resources 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 referrals to medical and allied health professionals with expertise to advise on nutritional needs.This unit applies to personal trainers who work independently with clients using discretion and judgement to plan for and deliver exercise programs, and to provide support to individual clients. They practise in settings such as fitness facilities, gyms, leisure and community centres, client workplaces and homes and outdoor locations.

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:

support healthy eating for three fitness clients and for each of the three clients:

identify daily eating patterns
compare daily eating patterns with the recommendations of Australian national dietary guidelines

assist clients with change to achieve healthier eating patterns using national dietary guidelines and associated resources, and:

provide information about daily patterns of healthy eating and recommended proportions of the five food groups
provide examples of healthy meals and snacks
provide information about healthy ways to prepare and cook food
educate clients about how to interpret nutrition information on food labels

consistently use client-centred communication during all interactions
maintain accurate records of client goals and advice provided
seek and evaluate feedback from clients and consider ways to improve own practice
according to actual client interactions or case studies, respond to two clients seeking advice or services outside scope of own practice for providing nutrition advice, and for each client:

advise client why their nutrition needs are outside scope of own role
provide information about the appropriate type of medical or allied health professional with relevant expertise
write a referral that provides clear information about the client and the reasons for referral.

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:

procedures for maintaining client records and confidentiality of client information
client-centred communication techniques for establishing and building trust and rapport to support behaviour change
role and limitations of fitness instructors in providing nutritional advice to clients, and:

purpose and content of established fitness industry guidelines for providing nutrition advice within scope of practice for fitness instructors
reasons for confining information and advice that is consistent with current Australian dietary guidelines and support resources
potential professional, legal and financial consequences of providing nutrition-related advice outside of scope of practice

how to screen clients to identify the type and depth of advice they are seeking about their nutrition needs
techniques used to positively communicate with clients about scope of own role and knowledge
appropriate responses to common fitness-related client requests and situations that require referral to medical and allied health professionals involving:

detailed nutritional assessment
personalised meal planning to meet a specific goal including advice and plans for weight loss and weight gain goals
high intensity, high volume and high level sports performance requirements
advice and recommendations on specific diet, eating trends and specific popular diets
nutritional supplements and specialised foods including for performance, medical and general health purposes
ergogenic aids
queries about nutrition and medication interactions

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

nutrient deficiencies and imbalances
exposure to relative energy deficiency in sport (RED-S) and overview of RED-S impacts
negative impact on existing health conditions
food intolerance and allergy adverse reactions
negative food-drug interactions
nutrition confusion
financial burden of product recommendations

how to find information about available accredited practising dietitians (APD) and accredited sports dietitians (AccSD) in the local area
benefits of working in collaboration with medical and allied health professionals for both fitness instructors and clients
format and inclusions of referral letters to medical and allied health professionals
information and recommendations contained in fitness industry eating disorder publications, and how fitness instructors can effectively respond to behavioural warnings signs for:

eating disorders
excessive exercise disorders
muscle dysmorphia

sources of authoritative and evidence-based information about nutrition and how to determine credibility
the meaning of key nutritional terms:

diet
healthy eating
nutrition
nutrients including macronutrients and micronutrients, and overview of how the body uses these

how to locate and use information from current Australian dietary guideline resources to provide healthy eating advice to individual fitness clients:

full guideline and summary documents
consumer brochures
teaching tools

key population level recommendations and healthy eating guidance contained in current Australian national dietary guidelines and associated resources:

the principal recommendations and guidelines
characteristics of the five food groups and the nutrients they contribute to the diet
daily patterns of healthy eating and recommended proportions of the five food groups
types of discretionary foods to be limited and why

methods and tools for collecting information about client daily eating patterns and how to evaluate this against national dietary recommendations
strategies, informed by national dietary guidelines, that support clients with healthy eating:

how to interpret food labels including health star rating labelling systems to support healthier food choices
types of healthy meals and snacks
healthy ways to prepare and cook food

the benefits to health and emotional wellbeing of combining healthy eating and physical activity
methods used to evaluate support provided to clients:

client evaluation questionnaires
informal conversations with clients
self-reflection on client responses to information including difficulties in understanding and implementing.

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.