Lauren Bongiorno, Founder of Risely Health, is a board-certified health coach for type 1 diabetics. Lauren alongside her team of health coaches have been actively working outside of their scope of practice by providing nutrition and dosing recommendations to their prospective clients.

Countless stories and experiences have been shared throughout the T1D community that these recommendations are triggering for clients with known histories of previous eating disorders or disordered eating. People with type 1 diabetes are twice as likely to develop an eating disorder compared to the average person. Yet, Lauren and her team of health coaches remain untrained with no schooling or credentials to provide nutrition and dosing support to people living with type 1 diabetes. 

The type 1 diabetes community is creating a petition to hold Lauren Bongiorno and Risely Health accountable for their actions by calling on the NY Attorney General Letitia James, Dexcom CEO Kevin Sayer, Omnipod CEO Shacey Petrovic, and NBHWC CEO Cathy Moore to open investigations into the innerworkings of Risely Health and Lauren Bongiorno Enterprises.  

"Health and wellness coaches support their clients in achieving health goals and behavioral change based on their clients' own goals and consistent with treatment plans as prescribed by individual clients' professional health care providers." 
-NBHWC.org

Lauren holds a health coaching certification from Integrative Nutrition Inc. (IIN) and is board-certified through NBC-HW. Neither organization has a course of action on filing reports against health coaches who are working out of their scope of practice or working against their code of ethics. 

According to Risely Health's website, there is a Medical Advisory Board that works in collaboration Lauren & her health coaching team. However, all programs are taught by Lauren and other health coaches- not the licensed health professionals. 

At the end of the day, if those with the qualifications are not the ones teaching the materials, then it does not make Lauren or her team qualified to take on their credentials. 

Understanding the role and scope of a health coach is about informed consent and that is not what Lauren nor Risely Health is bringing to the T1D community. These coaches are turning their heads when it comes to the Code of Ethics and Scope of Practice. No one- no matter the followers, sponsors, or marketing should be above these guidelines. 

Even if these programs haven't hurt you, they could hurt SOMEONE unnecessarily. Someone who has trusted them with their health and their life. 

Help support the T1D community seek transparency AND accountability for health coaches within the diabetes space to work collaboratively with licensed health care professionals & stop taking on credentials they have not rightfully earned.