TESTIMONY PRESENTED TO SMALL BUSINESS SUBCOMMITTEE ON REGULATION, JULY 15, 1992 BY BARBARA J. YODER PRESIDENT, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION 2107 TAYLOR DRIVE IOWA CITY, IOWA 52240 319-337-2060 55-950 - 92 - 8 My name is Barbara Yoder, and I am president of the National Association of Weight Loss Counselors (NAWLC). I welcome the opportunity to present testimony to Rep. Wyden and the Small Business-Subcommittee on Regulation, Business Opportunities and Energy. The NAWLC is a very new non-profit corporation. Counselors from several different commercial weight loss companies met in January of this year to set standards and establish credentialing for our profession. The NAWLC is governed by its Board of Directors, which consists of the elected officers and a Professional Advisory Board. The Professional Advisory Board is made up of five professionals who have achieved a masters degree or above in one of the following areas: Nursing, Exercise Physiology, Counseling, Nutrition and Education. We organized ourselves because we want to become more effective in our work. I have read the testimony that has been presented to this committee, and I want to assure you, the public and the professional people who have testified here, that we, the NAWLC members, understand the problem. We understand about false and deceptive advertising, false hopes, failure, gimmicks and fads. We understand that some clients belong in therapy rather than a weight loss program. We applaud your efforts to correct these problems. We understand the complexities of obesity and know there are no simple solutions. We understand that unless we are a part of the solution, we are a part of the problem. We also understand we have something important to contribute--that our experience, compassion and common sense are valuable assets and we can collaborate effectively with the scientific community. I would like to define for you the problems identified by the NAWLC specific to weight loss counselors as a group, outline our plan to solve those problems and report our progress so far. THE PROBLEMS 1. We don't have any credentials and therefore no credibility. It is embarrassing to us that all workers in the weight loss field are lumped together as being ill trained and uneducated, regardless of background, length of service or knowledge. We have no means of providing clients, the legislature or 2. There are no weight loss counseling training schools. Weight loss companies provide training, but the focus is primarily sales training and proprietary information rather than specific nutrition knowledge or counseling training. 3. There are no standards of practice or definitions of success. We don't know our limitations nor does anyone else. No one has offered us any kind of structured entry level training program or curriculum. 4. There is no career mobility. It is not unusual for a person to work at a company for a year or two, not be able to improve their status or pay and end up leaving the industry entirely. As a result, their experience and training is lost. 5. It is difficult for owners/managers to find qualified people to work in weight loss clinics. There is certainly no glamour or status involved that would attract workers into the field. The pay is low and there is not much chance of advancement. And of course, there are no training schools churning out eager graduates. THE SOLUTION 1. Offer a certification program designed for entry level workers in the field. Require a pre-certification class, competency testing and a professional designation. We agree with Dr. Frank: let those who don't want to be certified take their chances in this competitive field among those who are certified. Make the industry self- regulating and self supporting to avoid government involvement and expense. 2. Provide mandatory continuing education courses for certified counselors. Make certification renewal contingent upon compliance with continuing education requirements. 3. Write definitions and determine standards of practice for certified weight loss counselors, being specific enough that there will be no question about qualifications, limitations or defining characteristics. 4. Educate the public and other professionals to appreciate these standards and definitions. PROGRESS SO FAR The NAWLC has written its By-laws, mission statement, and code of ethics. We have outlined the responsibilities of a Certified Weight Loss Counselor. We have written a definition of success. We have acquired approximately 50 We The Professional Advisory Board will be teaching the first ever pre-certification class for weight loss counselors in September, 1992. Those who pass the test will become the first Certified Weight Loss Counselors in the country. are planning our next Conference in September as well. At that time specific definitions, continuing education criteria and standards and scope of practice will be written. We are also the accrediting agency for weight loss counseling schools and curriculums. Guidelines have been written to provide for the development of weight loss counseling schools in various states, so that certification will soon be available in all areas of the country. We are inviting comments, criticism, or encouragement from all interested parties regarding our organization. You are all welcome to examine our credentials and character. Progress in promoting health in our country through weight loss can only be achieved through constant evaluation, education, communication and constructive criticism. It is the desire of the NAWLC to contribute to that progress. Thank you for the opportunity to present this testimony. |