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Institute For Integrative Nutrition

Institute For Integrative Nutrition review: no accreditation 12

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8:33 pm EST
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The distance learning class all the students try to sell you products that they are selling through network marketing companies. All the knowledge learned you can research on your own. They're not a school that has accreditation. You can become Board Certified through another agency who the founder has the same last name as the creator of Integrative Nutrition. Anyone can become board certified! SCARY! To pass you have to complete 6 health histories ( which can be made up) no one observes if it's done correctly. open book tests that anyone can pass without taking the course, and YOU must complete health coaching sessions with their graduates of the school. If complete all they send a certificate so you can call yourself a health coach. BUT, if you research other Health Coach certificates most prerequsites require the candidate to have more knowledge or a degree in the Health Industry. (nurses, physical therapist, doctors, etc...) This school is a WASTE of money.

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12 comments
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maizee1
Manchester, US
Feb 18, 2013 12:48 pm EST

As a 2007 graduate of IIN I would have to lean with the school being an overall rip-off, but its not totally without value. In my own experience, I found that the majority of the students I met were trying to find balance in their lives and seek peace with food themselves, me included. In this way IIN was helping us (i.e. folks recovering from eating disorders or health scares, or trying to lose weight, recent weight loss success stories, etc) to heal. The others seemed to be stay at home moms looking for something to do or folks already associated with wellness in some way (yoga, vitamins, fitness, alternative medicine). I do not make a living through my training, and I am sure many graduates do not, but a couple of my fellow graduate friends actually do make 100% of their living in the wellness field and use their health coaching training in their practices.

And I honestly think my own personal relationship with food was helped much more through IIN than traditional medicine or my work with dietitians/therapists. There is more than one way to get healthy, loose weight, and develop a healthy relationship with food. What works for one, may not for another. In that regard, I think health coaches can be valuable additions to the wellness arena for certain folks, like me. And I certainly do not believe they are doing harm.

IIN is good in theory; I believe in getting healthy, helping others get balance with food, talking about food issues (food politics, contradictory diet theories, primary food). However I disliked the school from day one. They are capitalizing on a hot market. It's very sales-y, complainers were "shut down" with posts removed from IIN forums and social media outlasts. The school was ridiculously expensive, and I disagreed with the school's decision to go to an online format.

All in all it was a rip off, but I met a lot of nice people, read great books, heard some amazing speakers, and got the chance to explore NYC. I can't say I would do it again, but I don't regret it either.

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Lorig2
San Francisco, US
Jan 23, 2013 12:01 pm EST
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SJ the IIN "graduate" ..emailed me again ..she has a new and improved program to make her rich .."Be happy, eat, drink, go shopping" program and you will be amazing I every part of your life ...oh yes with an amazing body ..and all your dreams will come true " ..oh the catch is it costs almost $2000 .. ..another IIN graduate ..SCAM ..
How are these people not being shut down ? And yes she is a Drug less Practitioners asDr Carmichael mentioned . pleazzzzzz

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Dr Carmichael
, US
Jan 23, 2013 8:57 am EST

IIN is a scam. There, I said it. So sue me! I can't believe they want to sue this amazing website. They must have a lot of money to be suing people all over the place. I heard that THEY have been sued themselves by some heavyweights. Watch this space...let's see what unfolds. I have nothing against IIN teaching people that health is important and wanting to send their graduates out into the world to spread the message of wellness. Thta is honorable and wonderful. They should stick to doing just that. But health coaches who claiming to be "board certfied" ? Joining the IIN after only graduating from high school and working as a dog walker, graphic designer, car salesman, whatever? Charging hundreds of dollars for their health "expetise" that anyone can find on a website? Give me a break! :-)

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Dr Carmichael
, US
Jan 23, 2013 8:47 am EST

By the way...Columbia University stopped certifying them. Please look into this. Also...I would like to know...what does it mean when their graduates call themselves Board Certified? That is hilarious. Makes them sound like doctors or something, having to take grueling written and practical examinations to remain licensed. Not so. IIN's so-called "Board" can be joined by anyone, such as IIN grads, who have taken a course with no proctored exams, no final paper project, no monitored cheat-free tests or essays. Look it up for yourself under "Scam" on google:- the Board they join is called the American Academy of Drugless Practitioners. I'm a drugless practitioner - I don't recommend aspirin for mild headaches. Can I join this organization? One thing I know - - I would never pay money to an IIN graduate to counsel ME on health! What a joke. There are not even any prerequisites to join the course...you can be anything from a road sweeper to a business executive and after a few short months you can market yourself as a health expert. "Market" being the key word. I hear that their successful grads are often people who come from marketing or entertainment backgrounds. Scary! Instead, go study with (or find health coaches from):- Wellcoaches, National Institute for Whole Health, Duke University, Bastyr, etc etc.

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Lorig2
San Francisco, US
Dec 24, 2012 1:27 am EST
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How is it that IIN can stay in business ..clearly they are a money making factory of lies..isn't there some sort of agency that regulates them and their so called graduates ?

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littlewildchild
London, GB
Dec 17, 2012 6:01 am EST

I study at INN and all these reviews have got me in serious doubt about what I'm doing...I'm behind with the material since Sept when the school year opened, busy with it all now really, and just wondering if all this money is now a waste of time and money...Wow I'm horrified and disappointed...my husband offered to pay for me and feel like I should have spend the money somewhere else...

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Lorig2
San Francisco, US
Oct 27, 2012 12:10 pm EDT
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YIkes..i just put this all together..I was reading The Breathtaking Brides blog by Sarah Jenks, , what a ridiculous bunch of nonsense, , to join her program it will cost 1300$ ..her most recent was Live More Weigh Less.. i didn't do it so she started writing to me daily to push me . Makes sense ..she is an IIN "graduate"

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Lorig2
San Francisco, US
Oct 27, 2012 11:50 am EDT
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.lately i have been seeing FB posts by so called "nutrition" coaches who sell deceiving information on their sites to unsuspecting woman who think by paying for the nonsense these "experts" are selling they too will have a perfect life like those coaches..It is all ridiculous scam..about loving yourself and your body and being selfish. These so called coaches say the same thing with the same language that they learned on line at IIN . The have no idea what life is about or the science behind nutrition. They spew out expensive advise that has little merit . Be happy, be selfish, dance, , wear pretty clothes, shop, drink wine, love yourself and your body ..and don't worry about anyone else..REALLY?!..etc etc..this is the advise i have seen on several FB pages all "graduates of IIN. They suck you in with free advise on beautiful blogs and webinars then they hound you if you do not subscribe to their very expensive programs (in the 1000$ range +) DON'T DO IT..

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zekeNetanyahu
New York, US
Jun 16, 2012 6:48 pm EDT

Now this school/organization is trying to sue this AMAZING website in court to remove honest reviews? They already succeeded in getting Google to remove search results from their search engine. wow. I will keep my connection to this organization anonymous but I completely agree with this review.

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juliannamorgan
Phoenix, US
Jan 17, 2012 2:10 am EST

I have a degree in clinical nutrition from a prestigious university. The year I spent at IIN taught me more useful, productive, and life changing information than my entire time at university (coupled with university teaching you a traditional approach that from personal experience, I know simply does not work.

The information posted above is also incorrect. There is a tremendous amount of information you need to study at IIN, and you are tested throughout the year. My only regret is the tens of thousands I spent on a "traditional" accredited school when for a fraction of the price I feel much more educated, well informed, and much healthier in and of myself (90lbs lighter and now a holistic coach and a yoga instructor as a result of this course). I've changed my life and changed many lives for my clients as a result.

One day you may learn to be non-judgmental about a program you have never even completed.

And seriously... there is no way I would go to a traditional "registered dietician" and put my life in their hands any more than i'd pay the slightest bit of attention to the "USDA food pyramid". Their education is based on a seriously flawed understanding of the role nutrition plays in a healthy body. Isn't there a warning bell in the back of your mind when you see that this nation is becoming sicker and sicker, 1 in 5 die of cancer (and that is a conservative statistic). Drink your milk like your "registered dietician" tells you to, without the knowledge of the multiple clinical trials that conclusively show a direct correlation between pasteurized milk and a rise in all sort so conditions, none greater than osteoporosis (hint: osteoporosis is at an all-time high in the USA despite what the dieticians preach you to do about it).

There is one word for people who blindly follow those who were educated by the traditional education system in the USA with regard to health: sheeple (people who are like sheep and blindly follow those who have no true idea what they are doing).

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mochimochi
New York, US
Nov 14, 2011 4:23 am EST

Agreed as well. It's a Ponzi scheme--they pay alums to send new students to them--and the bulk of the course consists of teaching you how to sell yourself as a health professional rather than how to actually become one. You aren't taught any health studies that you couldn't glean from the diet aisle at B&N in a single weekend. Some of the "counselors" the school graduates might have good intentions but certainly are not trained in any real way, while others know what the deal is but must believe that there are prospective clients lazy or dumb enough to buy their shtick wholesale. I can't blame anyone but myself for having gone to the school, but it sucks that I wasted all that money on a diploma that would only hurt my credibility if I were to name it on my C.V.

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EatMoreLove
New York, US
Sep 23, 2011 6:39 pm EDT

COMPLETELY AGREE! If you want sound nutritional advice seek out a registered dietician who had to earn a degree and complete extensive coursework in anatomy, chemistry, and biology etc.. This place is just a certification factory. I have seem a million of the exact same IIN websites with same blogs and selling points. Total scam and making Joshua Rosenthal a ton of money :(

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