Getting Started

Beginning the client intervention:

Part of my job as a health professional is to prevent needless illness in my clients. Following a healthy lifestyle is a major way to reduce risks for many chronic diseases.

Take eating and having a healthy weight for example:
Eating well, being active and feeling good about yourself go together.

ASK about the client’s nutritional intake:

Suggestions:

• Do you think about the nutritional value of the foods you choose most of the time?
• Do you consider the fat and sugar content of the foods you eat?
• Are you eating the recommended amounts of vegetables and fruits a day?
• Have you compared your food intake with Canada’s Food Guide?

ASK the following staging question: Do you choose foods based upon their nutritional content most of the time?  NO YES or I USED TO   Check the Quick Reference to determine the client’s stage of change.

ADVISE The Client about the Need for Healthy Eating

Suggestions:

• Healthy eating and having a healthy weight reduces the risks for heart and blood vessel diseases, type 2 diabetes, some cancers and osteoporosis.

Turn to Healthy Eating Healthy Weights for additional points you may wish to advise clients about.

Click on the appropriate stage below for examples of what the health professional might say to clients. These are suggestions to stimulate your thinking about what you want to say to that particular client.