Weight Loss Consultant

Study weight loss consulting online. Learn how to loose weight and understand weight gain, genetic and psychological factors, exercise, and eating habits.

Course Code: BRE307
Fee Code: S2
Duration (approx) Duration (approx) 100 hours
Qualification Statement of Attainment
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Learn about Obesity: A global public health crisis


The struggle to lose weight is real – we are seeing an alarming escalation in overweight and obese people to the point that it is now labelled a global health epidemic. Global health organisations have warned of the serious health issues obesity brings and the need to take serious action to combat it.

Not surprisingly, there is a huge need for people like you to be educated in effective weight loss - to help yourself and others.
 
This need raises two important points:
 
1. By becoming a weight loss consultant you can greatly benefit the lives of many people.
2. There is a huge amount of opportunity for you to have a highly successful business as a weight loss consultant.
3. A weight loss consultant is a flexible career that you can work around your other commitments
 

How powerful - you can make great money, whilst helping people tremendously


What does a Weight Loss Consultant do?

  • Provide clients with motivation, advice and practical measures to assist them lose weight
  • Measure, record and track weight loss indicators
  • Discuss weight loss goals with clients and track goals over time
  • Assist clients with developing healthy eating, exercise and lifestyle choices

Why choose our course?

This course differs from other courses as it covers all aspects of weight loss, including:
  • understanding obesity
  • diet
  • exercise
  • psychology
  • consulting skills.

A unique point of this course is that it not only covers aspects of conducting weight loss programs, it also gives you skills in business so you can make your programs a huge success.


Do you want to hear what past students have to say about our courses?
 
ACS Student comment: Absolutely! [the course was a valuable learning experience], Gave me confidence and knowledge to start my own small business and help others with health and weight loss. ... I am very impressed with ACS from start to finish! I have attended other tertiary institutions before and attended university and have never had such a smooth and positive experience as the one with ACS. Lisa McDonald, Aus - Nutrition For Weight Loss course.

Lesson Structure

There are 8 lessons in this course:

  1. Scope and Nature of Weight Loss
    • Obesity Defined
    • Genetics
    • Diet
    • Exercise
    • Life Events
    • Adolescence
    • Pregnancy
    • Menopause
    • Middle Age
    • Stopping Smoking
    • Weight gain linked to Medication
    • Weight gain following Injury or Illness
    • Scope and Nature of Weight Loss Industry
    • Health Programs
    • Meal Replacement Products
    • Pharmacotherapy
    • Surgery for Weight Loss
  2. Managing Physical Activity
    • Role of Physical Activity in Energy Balance
    • Role of Physical Activity Raising Metabolic Rate
    • Bone Mass Maintenance
    • Physical Activity and Mental Health
    • Specific Aspects of Exercise When Overweight
    • Tips to get started with Exercise
    • Types of Exercise and Effectiveness for Weight Loss
    • Cardiovascular Activity
    • Optimum Target Heart Rate for Fat Burning
    • Resistance Activities
    • Exercise Progression
    • Recommending Exercise
  3. Managing the Diet
    • Teaching Portion Control
    • Beginning to Address Portion Control
    • Energy Density
    • Fats and Energy Density
    • Sources of Fats
    • Tips to Reduce Fat
    • Practical Tips Based on Daily Meal Plan
    • Sugar and Weight Reducing
    • General Weight Loss Tips
    • Using Food Diaries
    • Nutrition Resources and Lesson Planning
  4. Managing the Psychology
    • Eating and Emotions
    • The Brain and Weight Management
    • Managing the Psychology
    • Helping People to Make Changes
    • Stages og Change Explained -Pre contemplation, Contemplation, Preparation, Action, Maintenance, Relapse
  5. Tools for the Consultant
    • Determining Weight Status of Clients
    • Administering Weight Checks
    • Calculating BMI
    • Interpreting BMI
    • Setting Targets
    • Determining Waist Measurement
    • Health Evaluation
    • Nutritional Advice
    • Running Supermarket Tours
    • Food Labels
  6. Delivering Weight Loss Services
    • Individual Consultations
    • Features of an Ideal One to One Consultation
    • Good Questioning Skills
    • Running Group Sessions
    • Running Independant Weight Management Group Sessions
    • Joining an Established Weight Management Business
    • Potential Barriers to Weight Loss
    • Social Issues and Pressure
    • Time Constraints
    • Lifestyle
    • Physical Limitations
    • Psychological Limitations
    • Age
    • Hormonal Issues
  7. Conducting a Weight Loss Consultation
    • The Next Step
    • Target Marketing
    • Demand
    • Competition
    • Location
    • PBL Project -A major project where you:
    • -Explain the basics of obesity, explain fully the causes, symptoms, and associated health risks.
    • -Identify a target market that will benefit from your services.
    • -Develop a marketing strategy to attract clients from your target market
    • -Identify the nutritional, physical exercise, and psychological contributions to obesity.
    • -Identify and convey the importance of addressing all of the above elements in a successful weight loss programme.
    • -Present clear, concise and readily understandable guidelines that address appropriate interventions for the clients to take home and follow
    • -Develop appropriate assessment tools and strategies to identify and monitor your clients needs.
    • -Discuss the challenges for your client to adhere to the programme, and outline strategies to support them.
    • -Compare and contrast the dietary, exercise and psychological strategies you have decided to use, with other weight loss strategies you have decided not to use (e.g. surgery, meal replacement drinks, medication)
    • -Represent complex health information in a clear, simple format, readily understandable by the individual assuming they have little or no nutritional background
  8. Establishing a Weight Loss Business
    • Starting a New Business
    • Personality and Lifestyle
    • Affordability
    • Industry Knowledge and Experience
    • Starting a Business versus Buying a Franchise
    • Business Plans
    • The Planning Process
    • Marketing
    • The Marketing Plan, Promotion, Advertising, Networking
    • Summary of a Successful Business

Each lesson culminates in an assignment which is submitted to the school, marked by the school's tutors and returned to you with any relevant suggestions, comments, and if necessary, extra reading.

Aims

  • Explain factors that affect weight in a body.
  • Determine the scope and nature of the weight loss industry in your region.
  • Explain the role of physical activity in weight loss and provide practical advice and resources for you to use as a weight loss consultant.
  • Explain the role of dietary change in weight loss and provide practical advice and resources for you to use as a weight loss consultant.
  • Explain a variety of ways that psychology can be applied to the control of weight.
  • Determine weight status of clients
  • Select and implement and manage the use of different techniques to control weight in clients
  • Identify a viable weight loss service, and those things that must be done to optimize the chance of ongoing success.
  • Adapt dietary resources based on needs of an individual or a particular group.
  • Planning to start a weight management group
  • Develop a weight management service as a business
EVERY  INDIVIDUAL NEEDS A  DIFFERENT, INDIVIDUAL SOLUTION
 
 
When deciding on a weight reduction venture it is important to consider where your interests lie and also how much autonomy you wish to have. Depending on your specific interests you may wish to advise people individually at home or in a clinic environment, or may prefer to offer group meetings where you have complete control over session plans and delivery or alternatively you may wish to join a weight reducing business as an employee or franchise holder.
 
INDIVIDUAL CONSULTATIONS
  
Individual consultations allow you to cater for the individual needs of a weight loss client. These consultations provide you with more time to evaluate the client's dietary intake and weight loss story, practice behavioural change strategies and provide more tailored dietary advice.
 
Generally you will see clients for one initial consultation which will last for around an hour and then clients will attend for a series of follow up consultations of around 20 minutes to an hour. To see clients individually you may wish to rent a room e.g. in a health or leisure centre or retail outlet either on an ongoing basis or on a more flexible basis. You could also conduct private home consultations either in your own home or where you go to your clients home. The first option will clearly have greater start up costs although may prove more profitable in the longer term when you have established a larger client base. The timings of your consultations will also affect the attractiveness of your service to potential weight loss clients. Generally clients will require you to be flexible in terms of their appointment time and date and ts can be difficult to juggle. Whilst you may charge more for each individual client the revenue of an hour long weight management group catering for six or more clients will be higher.
 
GROUP SESSIONS

Group support is an important aspect of long term weight loss success. In fact there is evidence to suggest that people who attend regular weight control groups are more than 3 times as likely to lose weight as those who try to lose weight on their own where groups with weekly meetings have been associated most positively with success. Weight loss support groups offer prospective dieters a solid support system to assist them with weight loss. 
 
Groups can benefit each participant by providing peer support and encouragement as each group member will be going through their own dietary journey either be trying to lose weight or have lost weight and are trying to maintain the weight they lost, thus giving them a personal insight into each others struggle. In this way group participants can encourage group members who are doing well and also listen to those who are having a bad week providing encouragement.Studies have also highlighted that a group environment can also help to reduce some of the stress associated with dieting and weight control. It may be that participants benefit from knowing that they are not alone in experiencing weight problems that helps them to cope better while sharing problems with others can also remove anxiety.
 

Where will this course lead you?

Help people bring focus into their lives

Employment rates of Weight Loss Consultants have increased dramatically over the last few years and the trend is for that growth to continue.

A Weight Loss Consultant is considered a niche occupation so this course will provide you with the skills and knowledge to:

  • Start your own business as a Weight Loss Consultant
  • Work as a Weight Loss Consultant for a national or international weight loss company
  • Some may find employment in house with another business such as a health food retailer or fitness centre
  • Provide you with a foundation knowledge to assist you with further study should you wish to extend your skills in similar areas such as studying to be a dietitian or nutritionist.

There are many weight loss organisations out there, such as Weight Watchers, Slimming World and others.  Choosing to work for a franchise has certain advantages and disadvantages.  They provide a clear structure of how to work, but there can be a cost to buying in. They have specific products such as magazines, posters, perhaps foods, that can be sold and marketed. They will also show you how to take care of the administration side of the business.  

Becoming a freelance independent consultant may offer the greatest flexibility and potential income; but it can also involve more risk.  In this case, you will probably meet clients in their own homes, carry out an assessment on their weight problem, and then come up with an individual plan to help them.  You may only see them once, or you may see them on an ongoing basis to help them through their weight loss journey. This may also involve additional emails and calls to motivate and encourage the person.

If you plan to be self employed, the job can be broader than just talking about weight loss. You may need to develop networking and marketing skills to promote yourself and encourage people to use your services. Good administrative and communication skills will also required.

ACS Global Partner - Affiliated with colleges in seven countries around the world.
ACS Global Partner - Affiliated with colleges in seven countries around the world.
Since 1999 ACS has been a recognised member of IARC (International Approval and Registration Centre). A non-profit quality management organisation servicing education.
Since 1999 ACS has been a recognised member of IARC (International Approval and Registration Centre). A non-profit quality management organisation servicing education.

How can I start this course?

You can enrol at anytime and start the course when you are ready. Enrolments are accepted all year - students can commence study at any time. All study is self paced and ACS does not set assignment deadlines.

Please note that if a student is being assisted by someone else (e.g. an employer or government subsidy), the body offering the assistance may set deadlines. Students in such situations are advised to check with their sponsor prior to enrolling. The nominal duration of a course is approximately how long a course takes to complete. A course with a nominal duration of 100 hours is expected to take roughly 100 hours of study time to complete. However, this will vary from student to student. Short courses (eg. 100 hrs duration) should be completed within 12 months of enrolment. Certificates, Advanced Certificates and Awards (eg. over 500 hours duration) would normally be completed within 3 -5 years of enrolment. Additional fees may apply if a student requires an extended period to complete.
If a student cannot submit their assignments for 6 months to ACS, they should advise the school to avoid cancellation of their student
registration. Recommencement fees may apply.

Simply click on the ENROL OPTIONS button at the top of this screen and follow the prompts.

You can see the course price at the top of this page. Click 'enrolment options' to see any payment options available.

You can pay by Credit Card, PayPal, Afterpay or bank transfer.

Yes! We have payment plans for most courses. Click 'enrolment options' to see the available payment plans.
We also have Afterpay that will allow you to pay for your course or payment plans in four instalments (if you are in Australia).


What do I need to know before I enrol?

There are no entry requirements that you need to meet to enrol in our courses, our courses are for everyone.
If you are under 18, we need written permission from your parent/ guardian for your enrolment to continue, we can arrange that after you have enrolled.

You don’t need to purchase any additional resources to complete our courses.

We aim to teach you the essentials without you having to purchase any specific computer program.
We recommend that you have access to a word processing program, such as Microsoft Word or Google Docs, so that you can easily complete and submit your assignments.

You sure can. We are here to help you learn whatever your abilities.

Yes, if you are enrolling in a Certificate or Advanced Certificate, you might be eligible for credits if you have evidence of your previous studies or relevant experience. More information is here.

We recommend that you are able to browse websites, send emails and conduct online research. You will need to be able to type and submit your assignments.
If you have limited computer skills, we can make special arrangements for you.

This is possible, it depends on the institution. We recommend that if you would like to use our courses that you contact the institution first. Our Course Handbook is a good resource for this.

Our courses are written in English and we only have English speaking academic staff. If you can read and complete your assignments in English, our courses are ideal for you.

Our courses are designed to build knowledge, hands on skills and industry connections to help prepare you to work in the area, running your own business, professional development or as a base for further study.

This course has been designed to cover the fundamentals of the topic. It will take around 100 hours to complete, which includes your course reading, assignment work, research, practical tasks, watching videos and anything else that is contained in the course. Our short courses are a great way to do some professional development or to learn a new skill.

It’s up to you. The study hours listed in the course are a rough guide, however if you were to study a short course (100 hours) at 10 hours per week, you could finish the course in 10 weeks (just an example). Our courses are self-paced, so you can work through the courses in your own time. We recommend that you wait for your tutor to mark and return your assignment before your start your next one, so you get the benefits of their feedback.

The course consists of course notes, videos, set tasks for your practical work, online quizzes, an assignment for each lesson (that you receive feedback from your tutor from) and ends in an exam (which is optional, if would like to receive the formal award at the end), using our custom built Learning Management System - Login.Training.

Our courses are designed for adults to gain professional development and skills to further their careers and start businesses.

Our custom online learning portal allows you to conduct your learning online. There may be practical tasks that you can do offline. You have the option of downloading your course notes or print them to read later.

There is also the option to pay an additional fee for printed course notes and or USB (availability limited to location and deliverability).

Yes, if you don’t have access to the internet, you can receive the course as paper notes or on a USB stick for an additional fee. We can also make alternative arrangements for you to send your assignments to us.

We offer printed notes for an additional fee. Also, you can request your course notes on a USB stick for an additional fee.

Yes, your tutor is here to help you. Simply post any questions you have in your login.training portal or contact the office and we can pass on a message to your tutor.

We are more learning focussed, rather than assessment focussed. You have online quizzes to test your learning, written assignments and can complete an exam at the end of the course (if you want to receive your certificate). You will not receive a pass/ fail on your course work. If you need to add more details on your assignment, we will ask you to resubmit and direct you where you need to focus. If you need help, you can ask your tutor for advice in the student room.

Each module (short course) is completed with one exam.

Exams are optional, however you must sit an exam if you would like to receive a formal award. You will need to find someone who can supervise that you are sitting the exams under exams conditions. There is an additional cost of $60 incl. GST for each exam.
More information is here

There are practical components built into the course that have been designed to be achieved by anyone, anywhere. If you are unable to complete a task for any reason, you can ask your tutor for an alternative.

When you complete the course work and the exam and you will be able receive your course certificate- a Statement of Attainment. Otherwise, you can receive a Letter of Completion.

You can bundle the short courses to create your own customised learning bundle, Certificates or Advanced Certificates. More information is on this page.

Yes, our courses are built to be applicable for people living anywhere in any situation. We provide the fundamentals, and each student can apply their own unique flair for their own interests, region and circumstances with the one-on-one guidance of a tutor. There is also a bit of student directed research involved.

Employers value candidates with industry skills, knowledge, practical skills and formal learning. Our courses arm you with all of these things to help prepare you for a job or start your own business. The longer you study the more you will learn.

ACS has an arrangement with OAMPS (formerly AMP) who can arrange Professional Indemnity from Australian and New Zealand graduates across all disciplines. Ph: 1800 222 012 or email acs@oamps.com.au.


Who are ACS Distance Education?

ACS Distance Education have been educating people for over 40 years.

We are established and safe- we have been in education for over 40 years.
We are focused on developing innovative courses that are relevant to you now and what you will need to know in the future.
We are focused on helping you learn and make the most of your experience.
You can enrol at any time, you can work on your course when it suits you and at your own pace.
We are connected to many industry bodies and our staff participate in continuous improvement and learning activities to ensure that we are ahead of what learning is needed for the future.

Our courses are not accredited by the Australian Government. However many of our courses are recognised and held in high regard by many industry bodies.

Our courses are written by our staff, who all have many years experience and have qualifications in their speciality area. We have lots of academic staff who write and update our courses regularly.


How do I enrol my staff/ sponsored students?

Yes, you can do a request for a bulk enrolment and request an invoice on our Invoice Request Form

We can prepare an invoice, quote or proforma invoice. Simply complete your details on our Invoice Request form

We can arrange bulk discounts for your course enrolment, please get in touch with us to discuss your needs.

Yes, we have many students who are in locked facilities, such as prisons or hospitals. We can cater by also offering paper notes at an additional cost.


What if I have any more questions or need more information?

We can assist you to find the right course for your needs. Get in touch with us via email (admin@acs.edu.au) call on +61 7 5562 1088 or complete our course advice form.


What if I change my mind?

Please get in touch with studentservices@acs.edu.au if you would like to be removed from our mail list.

If you would like ACS Distance Education to delete your information at any time (whether you are a customer or a prospective customer), please contact our privacy officer and we will process this ( admin@acs.edu.au ).




Course Contributors

The following academics were involved in the development and/or updating of this course.

Jade Sciascia

Biologist, Business Coordinator, Government Environmental Dept, Secondary School teacher (Biology); Recruitment Consultant, Senior Supervisor in Youth Welfare, Horse Riding Instructor (part-completed) and Boarding Kennel Manager.
Jade has a B.Sc.Biol, Dip.Professional Education, Cert IV TESOL, Cert Food Hygiene.

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