Stay in your lane, Kourt (and Gwenneth now that we are going there)
I follow Kourtney Kardashian’s new blog Poosh because I completely respect her opinion on nutrition and supplements. JK! I follow her because I am so curious to see what thousands of people are interested in reading! It’s kind of like watching that drunk girl on the wedding dance floor. You can’t help but stare!
This morning, I read her blog post detailing her morning routine (read it here )…wake up and connect with the earth…make warm tea…drink a bunch of supplements that fills her up so she doesn’t need breakfast…work out with her personal trainer…actually get dressed in the morning without looking like a trainwreck….
Well, if anyone is wondering, my morning is a touch different: get woken up by a four year old diva at 6:30 AM after being up all night bc of my snoring dog…help her pick out her clothes for school (which takes approx. 30 minutes and 4 rounds of tears)…try and think of what is for dinner and defrost whatever meat I need….fix my family breakfast…feed the dog…pretend to listen to my husband ramble on about some dumb dream he had the night before…manage to brush my teeth and throw on a hoodie to hide the fact that I am not wearing a bra and throw my kid in the car for drop off….eat animal crackers for breakfast bc I forgot to feed myself and I always keep a stash of kid snacks in my bag. Glam life, I know.
Her routine is not what really got to me. What got my panties in a wad was all of the nutrition advice that she is presenting as if it is factual.
An article was published yesterday sharing results from a study. The author reported that “almost 90% of social media influencers are sharing inaccurate health information”. (read it here)
What exactly makes people like Kourt an authority on nutrition advice? She may stay current on the new trends, but that does not necessarily mean that she understands the science and what is fact vs. creative marketing. Experts say this is "potentially harmful," due to the influencers' reach.
Here is the problem. Kourt and many other people dishing out nutrition advice do not have a professional license to maintain, and therefore do not have any accountability. Kourt puts out some mis-information on her blog; what are the reprocussions? Maybe some bad news coverage for a day or two? What if I put out some inaccurate information and make a recommendation to a client based on false information? Guess what could potentially happen to me! I could lose my license to practice dietetics! Losing license means no job means no income means pissed off hubby means no Bueno. Licensed health care providers are held accountable by their licensing board, and also have a code of ethics that they all agreed to stand behind. Licensed professionals have more to lose.
Let’s try and remember what goes into obtaining professional licenses for a moment. I can only speak for myself on this topic, and am happy to share that I was required to obtain a bachelors degree in nutritional science, complete an accredited internship, pass an exam, and show proof that I continue to educate myself. I have also earned a Masters degree in nutrition where I conducted my own research, and therefore am now able to interpret data from research studies independently instead of simply reading an abstract or a blog post. During internship and beyond, all dietitians have seen the worst-of-the-worst when it comes to health. We have seen what happens when people over-stress their liver, kindeys, or other organs from nutrition practices. We understand that taking too much or not enough of a certain nutrient can lead to a visit to the ICU. I know it sounds dramatic, but I have seen it first-hand many times during my seven years working in hospital settings as a critical care dietitian.
“Natural” supplements and herbs sound harmless and it is easy to sound like and expert and authority if you have the right writing skills or marketing team. Information is so easy to obtain, but understanding the source of the information is SO important for your overall health and safety (and wallet). Stick to licensed professionals for your nutrition advice. Stick with Kourt for tips on how to use natural lube or how to pick the perfect jeans for a perfect butt.