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ChristianKl comments on Open thread, 25-31 August 2014 - Less Wrong Discussion
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No one in their right mind would fix their health issues without consulting a physician, an expert in physical health. Yet we are very willing to do most of our lifes without consulting any other experts, even if we deeply care about most of it. What experts and/or assistants are very worth consulting either in terms of saved time acquiring relevant knowledge, ease of mind or greatly enhanced results? I am thinking along the lines of training alone versus having your physician assess your physical health once a year and contacting the trainer you meet once every month to adjust your exercise routine.
Quite a lot people do start diets without consulting a physician.
The tongue-in-cheek answer would be to say that they are not in their right mind.
But I'd rather ask: Is it worthwhile to consult a physician before a diet change? Since, from my lay understanding, dietary needs are highly individual I'd say yes. Except for the dietary change the vast majority of people need: To consume fewer calories and more vegetables.
Physicians can't do magic. Dietary needs are to some degree individual but that doesn't mean that your physician necessarily knows what's best for you.
Healthy living is often about switching habits and that not something where physicians can help you much via a 15 minutes (or less) conversation.
If you suspect gluten insensitivity it can make sense to get tested by a physician but in many cases you just have to be aware of what's happening with you. How does your body react to different kinds of food? What stands in the way of changing your habits?
Isn't individuality of dietary needs reason not to consult a physician? In most cases it's going to be impractical for a physician to study any individual patient's requirements. They may also be legally or professionally prohibited from the kind of experimentation needed to find those requirements.