Select a conversation
General check-up

Nutrition

General check-up

Nutrition

Everyone can benefit from eating more fresh fruit and vegetables every day. These conversation tips will help you to be more effective at supporting and encouraging your patients make positive changes to their diet.

Evidence

Appetite

Insight
  • Evidence shows that brief interventions can significantly improve patients’ nutrition behaviours.

Whatnall MC, Patterson AJ, Ashton LM, & Hutchesson MJ (2018). Effectiveness of brief nutrition interventions on dietary behaviours in adults: A systematic review. Appetite, 120, 335-347. Link to journal article

1

Start a conversation

Let your patient know you are chatting about simple ways to improve nutrition, and ask if they’re interested to find out more.

Be mindful of linking patient’s current health concern with their health behaviour, it may make them resistant.

Learn more

  • Put patients at ease by letting them know you are having lifestyle conversations with all your patients.

  • Gently gauge your patient’s interest in having the conversation to assess if they are ready for change.

  • Focus on the positives from the patient’s point of view to foster a constructive, two-way conversation.

  • If patients are not interested, invite them to make a follow-up appointment when they are ready to chat.

Evidence

BMC Family Practice

Insights
  • Be mindful of linking patient’s current health concern with their health behaviour, it may make them resistant.

  • Build well received, collaborative conversations by inviting patient’s views using a question and answer format.

Albury C, Hall A, Syed A, Ziebland S, Stokoe E, Roberts N, Webb H, & Aveyard P (2019). Communication practices for delivering health behaviour change conversations in primary care: a systematic review and thematic synthesis. BMC Family Practice, 20: 111. Link to journal article

2

Engage and assess

Engage your patient by asking some simple questions and asses their readiness to change. Find out how much nutritious food they are currently eating.

  • Would you like your health to be different and, if so, how?

  • How do you feel about improving your current diet?

  • Could you manage some small dietary changes, starting today?

  • If patients are not interested, invite them to make an appointment when they are ready.

Learn more

When patients feel that their clinician has listened to them with empathy, they are more receptive to nutrition recommendations.

  • Make patients more open to change by letting them know that even a small change to their diet can improve their health and reduce their risk of disease.

  • Make change more achievable by reiterating the importance of starting small and working up to bigger goals.

  • Encourage patients by letting them know that any positive changes to diet will help, no matter how small.

Evidence

n/a

3

Understand your patient's challenges

Work together to discover challenges or barriers to healthier eating by asking simple questions.

  • Does your local supermarket stock fresh fruit and vegetables?

  • Who cooks at home and what kinds of food do they cook?

  • What current things in your life affect your nutrition choices?

  • Do you have someone supportive to help you with diet changes?

Learn more

Identify your patient’s barriers and enablers to a better diet within their social and physical environments, to support a conversation about potential strategies and improve your patient’s potential for success.

Potential barriers to an improved diet might include:

  • Limited time, fatigue, family obligations or other competing priorities

  • Limited access to fresh fruit, vegetables and good quality produce

  • Cultural traditions that affect the types of foods consumed

Potential enablers of an improved diet include:

  • Simple and easy to use self-tracking tools like Healthy Habits to foster motivation

  • Supportive friends and family to help with food purchase, preparation and consumption

  • Virtual support groups to challenge, motivate and encourage adherence to goals

Evidence

n/a

4

Educate and engage

Start with simple, manageable and rewarding suggestions:

Your health will improve from just 10 minutes of brisk walking a day.

Learn more

  • Motivate patients by letting them know that even a modest weight loss of just 5-10% can have a positive impact on health, even if they remain overweight.

  • Make change more achievable by reiterating the importance of starting small and working up to bigger goals.

  • Encourage patients that any positive changes to diet and exercise they make will help, no matter how small.

Evidence

American Journal of Clinical Nutrition

Insight
  • Research shows that eating more fruit and vegetables reduces the risks associated with stroke incidence, stroke mortality, ischemic heart disease mortality, cardiovascular disease mortality, and all-cause mortality.

Bazzano LA, He J, Ogden LG, Loria CM, Vupputuri S, Myers L, & Whelton K (2002). Fruit and vegetable intake and risk of cardiovascular disease in US adults: the first National health and nutrition examination survey epidemiologic follow-up study. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 76: 93-99. Link to journal article

5

Encourage one small step today

Ask patients about the dietary changes they would like to make. Set a small goal and let them know they can use the Healthy Habits app to help them set, track and reach their goal. Also ask if they would like any resources printed, or a list of where to find them.

Learn more

  • Get an idea of your patient’s current diet and suggest and agree on small changes.

  • Know your patient’s motivations, and work together to set achievable goals. Do they want to get physically stronger? Feel less fatigued? Lose weight?

The Healthy Habits app is a simple and easy way to get your patients started

  • It guides patients to set small, achievable physical activity and nutrition goals

  • Your patient can choose their own goals and increase their goals over time

  • The app gives your patients simple tips and tricks to help them stay on track

The Healthy Habits app allows patients to link their data to your dashboard

  • You will be able to see how your patients have been tracking

  • Discuss behaviours and revise goals at their next appointment

Evidence

Annals of Family Medicine

Insight

Clinicians reported using 5 key strategies to support patient behaviour change.

  1. Emphasising and encouraging patient ownership

  2. Partnering with patients to identify small steps

  3. Frequent follow-up visits to cheer successes

  4. Listening and problem solving together

  5. Showing caring and concern for patients

Greene J, Hibbard JH, Alvarez C, & Overton V (2016). Supporting patient behaviour change: approaches used by primary care clinicians whose patients have an increase in activation levels. Annals of Family Medicine, 14(2), 148-154. Link to journal article

Frontiers in Public Health

Insight
  • Self-tracking apps, which track activities like exercise, eating and heart rate, help users to better understand and improve their behaviours.

Sullivan AN and Lachman ME (2017). Behavior change with fitness technology in sedentary adults: a review of the evidence for increasing physical activity. Frontiers in Public Health 4:289. Link to journal article

Everyone can benefit from eating more fresh fruit and vegetables every day. These conversation tips will help you to be more effective at supporting and encouraging your patients make positive changes to their diet.

Appetite

Insight
  • Evidence shows that brief interventions can significantly improve patients’ nutrition behaviours.

Whatnall MC, Patterson AJ, Ashton LM, & Hutchesson MJ (2018). Effectiveness of brief nutrition interventions on dietary behaviours in adults: A systematic review. Appetite, 120, 335-347. Link to journal article

1

Start a conversation

Let your patient know you are chatting about simple ways to improve nutrition, and ask if they’re interested to find out more.

Be mindful of linking patient’s current health concern with their health behaviour, it may make them resistant.

  • Put patients at ease by letting them know you are having lifestyle conversations with all your patients.

  • Gently gauge your patient’s interest in having the conversation to assess if they are ready for change.

  • Focus on the positives from the patient’s point of view to foster a constructive, two-way conversation.

  • If patients are not interested, invite them to make a follow-up appointment when they are ready to chat.

BMC Family Practice

Insights
  • Be mindful of linking patient’s current health concern with their health behaviour, it may make them resistant.

  • Build well received, collaborative conversations by inviting patient’s views using a question and answer format.

Albury C, Hall A, Syed A, Ziebland S, Stokoe E, Roberts N, Webb H, & Aveyard P (2019). Communication practices for delivering health behaviour change conversations in primary care: a systematic review and thematic synthesis. BMC Family Practice, 20: 111. Link to journal article

2

Engage and assess

Engage your patient by asking some simple questions and asses their readiness to change. Find out how much nutritious food they are currently eating.

  • Would you like your health to be different and, if so, how?

  • How do you feel about improving your current diet?

  • Could you manage some small dietary changes, starting today?

  • If patients are not interested, invite them to make an appointment when they are ready.

When patients feel that their clinician has listened to them with empathy, they are more receptive to nutrition recommendations.

  • Make patients more open to change by letting them know that even a small change to their diet can improve their health and reduce their risk of disease.

  • Make change more achievable by reiterating the importance of starting small and working up to bigger goals.

  • Encourage patients by letting them know that any positive changes to diet will help, no matter how small.

n/a

3

Understand your patient's challenges

Work together to discover challenges or barriers to healthier eating by asking simple questions.

  • Does your local supermarket stock fresh fruit and vegetables?

  • Who cooks at home and what kinds of food do they cook?

  • What current things in your life affect your nutrition choices?

  • Do you have someone supportive to help you with diet changes?

Identify your patient’s barriers and enablers to a better diet within their social and physical environments, to support a conversation about potential strategies and improve your patient’s potential for success.

Potential barriers to an improved diet might include:

  • Limited time, fatigue, family obligations or other competing priorities

  • Limited access to fresh fruit, vegetables and good quality produce

  • Cultural traditions that affect the types of foods consumed

Potential enablers of an improved diet include:

  • Simple and easy to use self-tracking tools like Healthy Habits to foster motivation

  • Supportive friends and family to help with food purchase, preparation and consumption

  • Virtual support groups to challenge, motivate and encourage adherence to goals

n/a

4

Educate and engage

Start with simple, manageable and rewarding suggestions:

Your health will improve from just 10 minutes of brisk walking a day.

  • Motivate patients by letting them know that even a modest weight loss of just 5-10% can have a positive impact on health, even if they remain overweight.

  • Make change more achievable by reiterating the importance of starting small and working up to bigger goals.

  • Encourage patients that any positive changes to diet and exercise they make will help, no matter how small.

American Journal of Clinical Nutrition

Insight
  • Research shows that eating more fruit and vegetables reduces the risks associated with stroke incidence, stroke mortality, ischemic heart disease mortality, cardiovascular disease mortality, and all-cause mortality.

Bazzano LA, He J, Ogden LG, Loria CM, Vupputuri S, Myers L, & Whelton K (2002). Fruit and vegetable intake and risk of cardiovascular disease in US adults: the first National health and nutrition examination survey epidemiologic follow-up study. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 76: 93-99. Link to journal article

5

Encourage one small step today

Ask patients about the dietary changes they would like to make. Set a small goal and let them know they can use the Healthy Habits app to help them set, track and reach their goal. Also ask if they would like any resources printed, or a list of where to find them.

  • Get an idea of your patient’s current diet and suggest and agree on small changes.

  • Know your patient’s motivations, and work together to set achievable goals. Do they want to get physically stronger? Feel less fatigued? Lose weight?

The Healthy Habits app is a simple and easy way to get your patients started

  • It guides patients to set small, achievable physical activity and nutrition goals

  • Your patient can choose their own goals and increase their goals over time

  • The app gives your patients simple tips and tricks to help them stay on track

The Healthy Habits app allows patients to link their data to your dashboard

  • You will be able to see how your patients have been tracking

  • Discuss behaviours and revise goals at their next appointment

Annals of Family Medicine

Insight

Clinicians reported using 5 key strategies to support patient behaviour change.

  1. Emphasising and encouraging patient ownership

  2. Partnering with patients to identify small steps

  3. Frequent follow-up visits to cheer successes

  4. Listening and problem solving together

  5. Showing caring and concern for patients

Greene J, Hibbard JH, Alvarez C, & Overton V (2016). Supporting patient behaviour change: approaches used by primary care clinicians whose patients have an increase in activation levels. Annals of Family Medicine, 14(2), 148-154. Link to journal article

Frontiers in Public Health

Insight
  • Self-tracking apps, which track activities like exercise, eating and heart rate, help users to better understand and improve their behaviours.

Sullivan AN and Lachman ME (2017). Behavior change with fitness technology in sedentary adults: a review of the evidence for increasing physical activity. Frontiers in Public Health 4:289. Link to journal article

An initiative by

In partnership with

Download the Healthy Habits App

Take the first step to a healthier lifestyle

© 2024 Healthy Habits, The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners. All Rights Reserved.