Nutritional counselling has been recognised as a first-line approach in the management of many chronic diseases. It consists of a two-way interaction through which the patient is an active participant, together with healthcare professionals, in the interpretation and management of his/her nutritional problems, needs and goals. The nutritional counsellor is a professional who facilitates change towards healthy behaviour, knows stress management techniques and has the skills to educate the patient to adopt a healthy diet and physical activity appropriate to a healthy lifestyle. Furthermore, he/she knows how to assess and maintain motivation to change, using appropriate awareness-raising, empowerment and communication methods, collaborates with other professionals (doctor, psychologist, exercise science graduate), also supporting and educating the patient suffering from pathologies that, due to their relevance and complexity, entail an obligatory temporary or permanent change in lifestyle, such as oncological pathologies or disabilities.
In spite of this wide application in the clinical setting for the prevention and/or treatment of chronic non-communicable diseases or wellbeing mainly due to unhealthy lifestyles and thus modifiable with the help of this professional figure acting through a safe, effective and evidence-based professional practice, to date few studies have detailed the different approaches and tested the effectiveness of nutritional counselling.
The aim of this special issue is therefore to obtain high-quality scientific evidence on the effect of nutritional and dietary counselling in the management of metabolic health and lifestyle, which has also become an increasing priority in children and adolescents. Original research articles and reviews focusing on the evolution of this term and the multiple meanings associated with it are also welcome.
Nutritional counselling has been recognised as a first-line approach in the management of many chronic diseases. It consists of a two-way interaction through which the patient is an active participant, together with healthcare professionals, in the interpretation and management of his/her nutritional problems, needs and goals. The nutritional counsellor is a professional who facilitates change towards healthy behaviour, knows stress management techniques and has the skills to educate the patient to adopt a healthy diet and physical activity appropriate to a healthy lifestyle. Furthermore, he/she knows how to assess and maintain motivation to change, using appropriate awareness-raising, empowerment and communication methods, collaborates with other professionals (doctor, psychologist, exercise science graduate), also supporting and educating the patient suffering from pathologies that, due to their relevance and complexity, entail an obligatory temporary or permanent change in lifestyle, such as oncological pathologies or disabilities.
In spite of this wide application in the clinical setting for the prevention and/or treatment of chronic non-communicable diseases or wellbeing mainly due to unhealthy lifestyles and thus modifiable with the help of this professional figure acting through a safe, effective and evidence-based professional practice, to date few studies have detailed the different approaches and tested the effectiveness of nutritional counselling.
The aim of this special issue is therefore to obtain high-quality scientific evidence on the effect of nutritional and dietary counselling in the management of metabolic health and lifestyle, which has also become an increasing priority in children and adolescents. Original research articles and reviews focusing on the evolution of this term and the multiple meanings associated with it are also welcome.
