Ethical Advertising
Accredited Practising Dietitians are registered with the Dietitians Association of Australia, a self-regulated organisation that aims to meet the standards required for registered health practitioners as developed by the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA). Registered health practitioners are bound by the Health Practitioner Regulation National Law Act. Section 133 of the National Law relates to advertising. It states that:
(1) A person must not advertise a regulated health service, or a business that provides a regulated health service, in a way that—
c. uses testimonials or purported testimonials about the service or business
It is for this reason that we do not display testimonials on our website or advertising and promotional materials, despite having many happy clients who have written to us to express their satisfaction with the service they received.
Should You Trust Testimonials?
People working within the nutrition and weight loss industry commonly use testimonials to advertise and promote their business, however you should exercise caution when deciding whether to work with them or not.
Testimonials can distort a person’s judgment in his or her choice of health practitioner. They may misrepresent the skills and or expertise of practitioners and create unrealistic expectations of the benefits such practitioners may offer health consumers.
[Guidelines for advertising regulated health services, AHPRA 2014]
Report Misleading Claims
If you believe a business is displaying false testimonials or making misleading claims, you should report them to the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission.
