Can ChatGPT Be My Dietitian?

Note: This post was written by Ayala, not chatGPT. :)

These days, ChatGPT is doing it all. From creating recipes, writing social media posts, or creating an itinerary for your vacation, it seems that there is no hole ChatGPT can’t fill. You may be wondering, "Can ChatGPT be my dietitian too?"

On the one hand, using ChatGPT as a dietitian sounds like a wonderful idea. It is free, available 24/7 (even at midnight!), and can spit out meal plans faster than even your most seasoned dietitian. But ChatGPT is missing some of the most important qualities of a good dietitian - clinical judgement, trust, and compassion. It is exactly these human qualities - something that no algorithm can imitate - that make working with a dietitian so effective and rewarding.

Clinical judgement is one of the most essential skills a dietitian brings to a session. In fact, the exam to become an RD focuses heavily on testing clinical judgment, not just nutrition facts. As one study notes, “Dietitian clinical judgement is a necessary part of clinical decision-making that extends beyond logical or critical thinking. It facilitates a person-centredness to patient care and professional relationships that are key dimensions to dietitian clinical decision making.”

Clinical judgment is the intersection of nutrition knowledge and emotional intelligence.

While AI may have the knowledge to suggest recommendations, it cannot read a client’s

body language, tone, or emotions. It cannot ask, “How can I tailor these recommendations to best suit this person’s unique needs?” Effective nutrition guidance requires understanding a client’s social and emotional context — something only a human dietitian can provide.

Another important piece of the dietitian-client relationship is trust. When a dietitian and client build a relationship over time and develop trust, this can greatly impact the overall effectiveness of sessions. When there is trust in the relationship, clients can feel comfortable sharing honest information about what may be blockinthem from reaching their goals. This in turn helps the dietitian tailor their recommendations to the client's lifestyle and barriers and provide more nuanced and realistic support. Trust turns sessions from instruction to collaboration - and we know collaboration is one of the most effective ways to create change.

Lastly, a key ingredient of being a good dietitian is compassion. A compassionate dietitian creates a safe, judgement free space where clients can feel comfortable sharing openly. Compassion helps an RD encourage clients through hard times and celebrate successes. Compassion gives an RD the tools to see the environment surrounding the client, not just the choices being made. And true, honest compassion is not something ChatGPT can replicate, no matter how hard it tries.

ChatGPT may not be the best at replicating the human relationship between a

client and dietitian, but there are some things it can do to help someone improve their nutrition. Try asking ChatGPT for the following:

• Meal and snack ideas within a given plan

• Recipes and shopping lists appropriate for your needs

• Coping statements and strategies for when urges arise

• Personalized food record templates

Using ChatGPT for these purposes can save you time and enhance your progress, but ChatGPT's suggestions should be reviewed by your dietitian for suitability.

ChatGPT is wonderful at providing facts and ideas. But if you find your conversations with

ChatGPT starting to get emotional, personal, or behavior-change-oriented, take that as

your sign to give a real, live dietitian a call!

References:

Vo R, Smith M, Patton N. The role of dietitian clinical judgement in the nutrition care process within the acute care setting: a qualitative study. J Hum Nutr Diet. 2021 Feb;34(1):124-133. doi: 10.1111/jhn.12820. Epub 2020 Oct 2. PMID: 33009683.