# How Dietitians Build Trust Around Nutrition Misinformation - Published: 2026-11-10 - Author: [Dietitians](https://dietitians.io/author/dietitians-io.md) - Topics: [Q&A](https://dietitians.io/qa.md) - Source: https://dietitians.io/qa/how-dietitians-build-trust-around-nutrition-misinformation/ - Publication: Dietitians - Publisher: Connectively (Terkel, Inc.) - Editorial policy: https://dietitians.io/editorial-policy/ - AI use: The perspectives in this article were written by the named contributors and submitted through Connectively. Connectively's automated system selected them and used AI to write the headline, introduction, section headings, summary sections, and illustration, and to make minor edits for clarity. Articles are assembled and published automatically. Report errors to corrections@connectively.us. ### Compare Claims With Your Own Results When a client brings me a nutrition claim from social media, I ask what specific result they want and whether the claim has ever been tested against that result for them. I don't tell them their source is wrong. When I lost 56 kilos and reversed type 2 diabetes, I worked with a dietitian because I kept coming across claims that sounded plausible but weren't about my body. With the people I coach now, I ask them to bring me the post. We check it together against their last week of actual eating and energy rather than against anyone's opinion, and that includes mine. --- ### Ask Who Advice Serves I begin by taking the claim seriously, because the patient already has. Dismissing nutrition advice they discovered on social media can feel like dismissing their concerns, discouraging honest conversation. Instead, I ask what attracted them to the advice and what they hope to achieve. Most nutrition trends appeal to a legitimate goal, whether improving energy, losing weight, addressing gastrointestinal symptoms, or promoting longevity. Identifying that goal establishes common ground. From there, I separate the goal from the proposed intervention. I might say, "That is a worthwhile goal. Let's examine whether this approach is supported by evidence and appropriate for you." I incorporate objective measures such as apolipoprotein B, glycemic markers, or continuous glucose monitoring data. This shifts the discussion toward an individualized assessment. If the evidence supports their approach, I acknowledge it. If not, we can explore alternatives without making the patient feel judged. One particularly effective strategy is asking, "Who was this advice designed for?" I encourage patients to consider the creator's intended audience, qualifications, and potential financial incentives. Advice promoted by a young bodybuilder or supplement company may not be appropriate for a middle-aged patient with insulin resistance and a family history of cardiovascular disease. Patients often recognize these differences themselves. I then ask, "What evidence would convince us that this recommendation applies to you?" This encourages critical thinking rather than passive acceptance of health claims. I also emphasize that uncertainty is an inherent part of medicine. When patients are interested in an intervention with limited evidence but minimal anticipated risk, we may consider a structured, time-limited trial. We establish a measurable outcome, minimize confounding variables, and reassess symptoms or relevant biomarkers after four to eight weeks. We also consider biological variability and placebo effects. Ultimately, my objective is not simply to debunk the latest nutrition trend. It is to equip patients with a framework for evaluating future claims: Who is this advice intended for? What evidence supports it? Does it apply to my individual health profile? And how would I know whether it works? When patients learn to ask these questions, they become more informed, engaged participants in their own care. --- ### Check the Facts Together I start with curiosity, not correction. When a client brings in a claim from TikTok or Instagram, I ask, "What drew you to this?" The answer is almost always a real need: more energy, less bloating, feeling in control around food. Once we name the need, we can look at the claim together instead of me knocking it down, and the client doesn't have to defend it. The approach that helps most is one we borrow from DBT, "check the facts." We ask three questions out loud: Who is saying this, and what are they selling? What would have to be true for this to work for you? And what happened the last time you tried something like it? A common one we see is cutting out all fruit "for blood sugar." Walking through those questions, clients often notice the account sells a supplement, and that the useful idea underneath, pairing carbs with protein, works without giving up fruit. The goal isn't to make clients distrust everything they read. It's to help them trust their own experience at least as much as a stranger with a ring light. Rachel Harvest, MS, RDN, CDN, LD, IFNCP, Founder & CEO of The Harvest Method, a telehealth nutrition practice with 15 registered dietitians in 12 states and Washington, D.C. --- ### Explore Sources and Health Goals I use behavior change counseling techniques to keep conversations supportive, collaborative, and nonjudgmental when clients bring in nutrition advice from social media. I begin by listening and exploring what attracted them to the information, while validating their desire to improve their health. Rather than immediately challenging the claim, I ask questions such as, “Was it a reputable source?” and “How would following this advice help you meet your health goals?” to encourage critical thinking. We then discuss whether the recommendation is sustainable and supported by peer-reviewed journal articles or professional organizations, rather than relying solely on personal testimonials or influencer experiences. I guide clients to critically evaluate nutrition claims, explore their motivations for considering them, and assess whether they are supported by credible evidence and consistent with their health goals. This collaborative process not only helps clients develop the skills to critically evaluate nutrition claims on their own, but also fosters trust and strengthens the patient-provider relationship. As trust grows, clients are often more open to discussing their concerns, exploring behavior change, and making sustainable health improvements. By combining empathy, evidence-based education, and behavior change strategies, clients feel respected, engaged, and empowered to make informed decisions that align with their health goals. ## Related - [Dietitians Share Scripts for Healthcare Team Collaboration When Nutrition Guidance Conflicts](https://dietitians.io/qa/dietitians-share-scripts-for-healthcare-team-collaboration-when-nutrition-guidance-conflicts.md) - [Debunking Viral Nutrition Claims in Nutrition Counseling: Phrases That Keep Trust](https://dietitians.io/qa/debunking-viral-nutrition-claims-in-nutrition-counseling-phrases-that-keep-trust.md) - [How Dietitians Navigate Supplement Questions Without Losing Client Trust](https://dietitians.io/qa/how-dietitians-navigate-supplement-questions-without-losing-client-trust.md) - [Make Nutrition Changes Work for the Whole Household](https://dietitians.io/qa/make-nutrition-changes-work-for-the-whole-household.md)