Keto Diet Ethics and Conduct 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A keto coach recommends a specific supplement brand to clients and receives a commission for each sale. What ethical obligation does this create?
- No obligation since the products work
- Full disclosure of the financial relationship to clients (Correct answer)
- Keeping the arrangement private to avoid confusion
- Recommending only that brand exclusively
Correct answer: Full disclosure of the financial relationship to clients
Receiving commissions creates a conflict of interest that must be transparently disclosed to clients so they can make informed decisions.
Question 2: Someone asks a certified keto nutritionist to help them use the keto diet to manage Type 1 diabetes without telling their doctor. The ethical response is to:
- Provide the plan since ketosis is well-studied
- Refuse all keto guidance to diabetic clients
- Require physician involvement before proceeding (Correct answer)
- Design a conservative plan and monitor closely
Correct answer: Require physician involvement before proceeding
Type 1 diabetes and ketosis can lead to diabetic ketoacidosis; a physician must be involved to safely monitor insulin and ketone levels.
Question 3: A keto influencer exaggerates weight loss results in a post by attributing 30 lbs of loss purely to keto while omitting that they also exercised daily and used appetite suppressants. This is an example of:
- Acceptable marketing simplification
- Misleading omission (Correct answer)
- Protected personal opinion
- Standard before-and-after promotion
Correct answer: Misleading omission
Omitting material factors that contributed to results misleads the audience about what keto alone can realistically achieve.
Question 4: When adapting a keto meal plan for a client who is pregnant, what is the most important ethical step?
- Increase fat targets to 85% of calories
- Obtain written clearance from the client's OB-GYN (Correct answer)
- Reduce carbs to under 10g per day as usual
- Ask the client to research it themselves first
Correct answer: Obtain written clearance from the client's OB-GYN
Pregnancy involves complex nutritional needs, and any restrictive diet requires obstetric supervision to protect both mother and fetus.
Question 5: A keto practitioner notices a client is showing signs of an eating disorder focused on fat purity. The practitioner should:
- Reinforce strict macros to maintain structure
- Refer the client to a mental health professional (Correct answer)
- Pivot to a less restrictive diet without explanation
- Document the behavior and continue the plan
Correct answer: Refer the client to a mental health professional
Orthorexic or disordered eating behaviors around keto require mental health intervention beyond a nutritionist's scope.
Question 6: A keto coach in the US claims their protocol can 'reverse cancer' in marketing materials. This claim is:
- Acceptable if citing preliminary studies
- Legal because supplements are unregulated
- Unethical and potentially illegal under FTC and FDA rules (Correct answer)
- Fine if a disclaimer is added
Correct answer: Unethical and potentially illegal under FTC and FDA rules
Claiming a diet reverses cancer is an unsubstantiated disease claim that violates FTC advertising standards and FDA regulations.
Question 7: A client shares detailed health history with their keto coach. The coach later discusses the client's case by name in a public webinar as a success story without permission. This violates:
- Only HIPAA if the coach is a licensed clinician
- Client confidentiality regardless of the coach's credentials (Correct answer)
- No rule since positive stories are promotional
- Only the terms of the coaching contract
Correct answer: Client confidentiality regardless of the coach's credentials
Using identifiable client health information publicly without consent violates basic confidentiality ethics in any coaching or health context.
Keto Diet Ethics and Conduct 2
A keto coach recommends a specific supplement brand to clients and receives a commission for each sale.
What ethical obligation does this create?