What is the first step in helping a client manage weight?

Determining a healthy calorie intake is the first step in helping a client manage weight because it establishes a foundational understanding of their energy needs. Weight management fundamentally revolves around energy balance, which is the relationship between calories consumed and calories expended. By calculating a healthy calorie intake, you provide a tailored approach that considers the individual's age, gender, activity level, metabolic rate, and specific weight goals. This personalized caloric framework helps clients understand how much they need to eat to achieve their desired weight change—whether it's weight loss, maintenance, or gain.

After establishing the right caloric intake, subsequent steps can involve increasing physical activity levels or discussing dietary approaches, but understanding where to start with caloric needs is crucial. This ensures that any change in diet or activity is sustainable and effective. Other options, such as recommending multivitamins or suggesting a low-carb diet, don’t address the immediate need to create the right energy balance for the individual's body.