The truth is, I really don't know

My mother has always been a huge fan of the dietitian Leslie Beck.  Ever since I started studying nutrition, she has exclaimed in an overly proud voice, "I know you're going to be just like Leslie Beck! I can't wait to watch you on TV some day! Would you like me to email her? I checked her web-site and got her email address! I can email her and ask her how she got started.  Would you like me to do that Leigh-Ann? Leigh-Ann, do you want me to email Leslie Beck?"

Honestly, I don't know much about Leslie Beck, so I decided to look into her work.  I found an article she wrote for the Globe and Mail last week that caught my eye (http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20090121.wlbeck21/BNStory/specialScienceand Health/home).  In her introductory paragraph she explains that she work in private practice and has a lot of clients asking about weight loss pills.  In seems in our program we don't learn much about herbal remedies, supplements, or any type of pill available on the market.  What would I say to someone that asked me about weight loss and diet pills? As a fourth year student, I feel I should be able to formulate some sort of response.  Yet what do I know about this topic? Absolutely nothing.

So I read Leslie's article.  She goes through each supplement or pill and explains how much of the research done thus far is inconclusive.  She explains that the best way to lose weight is the old-fashioned way: diet and exercise.  Although evidence points away from the benefits of taking a pill, I am in awe that have never even heard of most of the pills Leslie has listed.  I wonder, then, is this an area I should know more about? We discussed in class the benefits and downfalls of having a quick-fix.  Are clients even willing to take the slow route to success, or would they be more willing to pop a pill?

I feel like there is so much I don't yet know.  Perhaps it will become more clear once I start practicing as a dietitian.  Maybe I should email Leslie Beck.  How did she come to know what she knows? How can I better prepare myself for the world of dietetics? What type of questions should I expect to receive? If the answer to the complex problem of weight loss is just exercise and dieting, should I even bother to learn about alternatives? The truth is, I really don't know.