Personal trainer Norman Low banned from giving unsafe diet advice to members of the public

An Adelaide personal trainer has been banned from offering diet plans to members of the public after a probe found his plans were “inappropriate, unsafe and not backed by science”.

An Adelaide personal trainer who told clients to stop taking their medication, and to drink so much water they might go into cardiac arrest has been banned from providing diet plans after a probe by the state’s health complaints commissioner.

Norman Low was initially handed a three-month interim prohibition order on September 8 by the Health and Community Services Complaints Commissioner (HCSCC) Associate Professor Grant Davies.

Norman Low, Adelaide personal trainer, was handed an interim prohibition order in September. Pictures: Facebook

The order was issued after the HCSCC discovered Mr Low was falsely claiming to be a dietitian on his website.

Later that month, the order was extended to prevent Mr Low from offering dietary advice to “protect the health and safety of members of the South Australian public”.

An investigation into two of Mr Low’s diet and nutrition plans, with the assistance of an accredited dietitian found concerning flaws, including Mr Low recommending all oral medication be stopped during the plan.

Norman Low, Adelaide personal trainer, has been banned from claiming he is an accredited dietitian. Pictures: Facebook

Other recommendations Mr Low provided found:

-If the consumer followed the plan, they would not lose weight but potentially gain up to 1kg a week;

-If followed for three months, a person would suffer a significant decline in the nutrient status of some major macronutrients

-With the restricted diet and level of training the consumer was at great risk of developing iron deficiency and potential anaemia if the plan was followed for more than a month;

-Mr Low told people to drink more than nine litres of water a day, with potential to have a detrimental effect on cardiac function and in some cases lead to sudden cardiac arrest;

-He recommended oral medications be stopped during the plan, which is illegal.

Adelaide PT Norman Low’s diet plan.

Assoc Prof Davies said the suggested amount of water and cessation of medications as prescribed could have life-threatening consequences on consumers.

The dietitian assessing the plans said the plans would likely rebound once the consumer had finished their course, and result in them gaining weight.

“These plans are dangerous and are not based on science,” Assoc Prof Davies said.

“It appears they were not tailored for a consumer’s individual needs and the evidence shows they put the people following them at serious risk.

“To protect the public, I have issued this order and I strongly recommend anyone still using these plans to consult an accredited dietitian.”

Mr Low is still able to offer personal training provided he does not breach the terms of the order.