Weight Management Consultant Level 4 will help you understand the skills involved in such a role. You will learn how to adapt to each individual client and their needs and tailor your approach to their situation. You will be covering three main areas:

• Nutrition
• Exercise
• Psychology

At the end of the course you will have the skills and knowledge in place to help your clients improve their long term health.

Support is provided for up to 12 months but it is entirely up to you how quickly you work through the course. The estimated study time is 100 hours so if you average around 5 hours a week study you would complete in 5-6 months.

Students can choose to take the online version of the course where the course is emailed to you or request a paper copy where the course is delivered hard copy in folders. This is yours to keep so you can write on it, make notes etc.

Support is provided throughout the course via a tutor who can be emailed at any time should you come across anything you are unsure of. There is also a support team by telephone.

Weight Management Consultant Level 4 is split into seven units. At the end of each unit you will complete an assignment which you will email to your tutor. An assignment is a set of questions based upon the unit you have just studied. Your tutor will mark your work and give you feedback. If there are any areas for improvements or anything that you have misunderstood you will always have the opportunity to re-submit.

The good news is there are no exams! Once you have completed all the assignments you complete the course.

Unit 1: Essential Principles in Nutrition

• Describe characteristics and functions of macronutrients and micronutrients
• Explain the importance of vitamins and minerals for the body
• Explain the importance of water in the diet
• List ways in which they can stay informed of the latest developments in the field

Unit 2: The Obesity Epidemic, Causes and Consequences

• Describe energy balance
• Explain how modern diet and working practices predispose individuals to weight gain
• Analyse the role which fast food, ready meals and convenience food play in obesity
• Evaluate the extent to which food consumption is linked to our social and cultural heritage
• Explain the relationship between economic status and obesity
• Describe the effects of the obesity epidemic on an individual and national level

Unit 3: The Principles of Effective Weight Management

• Describe the risks associated with being overweight
• Perform an assessment to determine if a person is overweight, and know the different classes of obesity (obese, severely obese, morbidly obese, super obese)
• Analyse the benefits and drawbacks of different methods for determining whether someone is overweight
• Explain energy balance, and the fundamental mechanics of fat loss, calorie counting, portion sizes and the food pyramid

Unit 4: Complications to Weight Management

• Give examples of conditions which predispose individuals to obesity, or make it far more difficult for them to maintain a healthy weight
• Assess the impact of the two diabetes as they apply to weight loss
• Describe the considerations for working with individuals with type one diabetes
• Explain the effect of metabolic diseases on a person's weight
• Make a balanced judgement as to when an individual is suitable for assistance from a weight loss consultant and when they need to be treated by a medical professional

Unit 5: Fad Diets and Fact Diets

• Outline the characteristics and drawbacks of the most popular 'fad diets'
• Explain why 'diets' as a whole do not work for sustained weight loss and management
• Define the 'yo-yo' dieting effect
• Outline approaches to weight management which do work and are sustainable in the long term

Unit 6: The role of Psychology in Weight Loss

• Describe the relationship between emotion and food
• Give examples of situations where emotions or psychological considerations may lie at the heart of a weight issue
• Illustrate with examples the psychological effect which obesity can have on individuals
• Justify the consideration of psychological factors when dealing with weight loss
• List and describe how different psychological approaches are effective in supporting weight loss and know how to help clients find help

Unit 7: The Role of Exercise in Weight Loss

• Explain how exercise can contribute to initial weight loss, as well as maintenance of a healthy weight
• Differentiate between types of exercise which are suitable and unsuitable for obese individuals
• Outline the types of professionals who can provide tailored exercise plans for obese individuals
• Clarify instances when it is appropriate to recommend exercise to a client and when to refer them to a medical professional
• Describe different ways in which clients can incorporate more exercise into their daily routines

At the end of this course successful learners will receive a Certificate of Achievement from ABC Awards and Certa Awards and a Learner Unit Summary (which lists the components the learner has completed as part of the course).

The course has been endorsed under the ABC Awards and Certa Awards Quality Licence Scheme. This means that Open Study College has undergone an external quality check to ensure that the organisation and the courses it offers, meet defined quality criteria. The completion of this course alone does not lead to a regulated qualification* but may be used as evidence of knowledge and skills gained. The Learner Unit Summary may be used as evidence towards Recognition of Prior Learning if you wish to progress your studies in this subject. To this end the learning outcomes of the course have been benchmarked at Level 4 against level descriptors published by Ofqual, to indicate the depth of study and level of demand/complexity involved in successful completion by the learner.

The course itself has been designed by Open Study College to meet specific learners’ and/or employers’ requirements which cannot be satisfied through current regulated qualifications. ABC Awards & Certa Awards endorsement involves robust and rigorous quality audits by external auditors to ensure quality is continually met. A review of courses is carried out as part of the endorsement process.

ABC Awards and Certa Awards have long-established reputations for providing high quality vocational qualifications across a wide range of industries. ABC Awards and Certa Awards combine over 180 years of expertise combined with a responsive, flexible and innovative approach to the needs of our customers.

Renowned for excellent customer service, and quality standards, ABC Awards and Certa Awards also offer regulated qualifications for all ages and abilities post-14; all are developed with the support of relevant stakeholders to ensure that they meet the needs and standards of employers across the UK.