Connie Giorgolo began her career in dietetics in 1965 as a nutritional consultant in geriatric nutrition. She is presently employed at Highland Health Care Associates in Lombard, where patients are referred to Giorgolo mainly by physicians.
”Mostly I see people for obesity,” said Giorgolo. ”I also commonly see people for diabetes, gestational diabetes and elevated cholesterol levels. Occasionally, but not very often, I see people for eating disorders, anorexia or bulimia.
”What happens is that a patient will be referred to me for a particular problem and I set up an appointment. At the first visit, I attempt to get a complete nutritional background of the person. I also ask things like how often do they eat in restaurants, do they cook at home, what is their exercise history, are they on a specific exercise program. I take their weight history: Has it been a long-standing problem or a gradual weight gain. I ask what medications they`re on.
”Then I determine an ideal weight, based on sex and bone structure. I determine calories and then proceed to give them instructions with a diet.
”I get a history of a person`s daily food intake to determine if the diet they`re on is generally nutritious or not. Then we set goals. The goal might be a goal weight or a normalized glucose level or normalized cholesterol level, depending on the problem.
”We talk about what it is they`re feeling about their ability to follow a diet, their attitude and their motivation.
”I individualize diets according to food likes and dislikes, whether people work or like to cook. Calories, of course, are individually tailored to each patient.”
Giorgolo normally sees clients three to six times. ”I`ll see people three weeks to a month after the first visit. We`ll discuss any problems they`re having, check their progress and set new goals.”
Our fast-paced lives have produced built-in dietary pitfalls, said Giorgolo. ”Husbands and wives are both working and don`t cook at home. Fast foods and eating in restaurants can cause nutritional downfalls. But if people have no options other than eating out, I also show them how to select nutritious foods from a restaurant menu.”
