Carol Cottrill

Carol Cottrill, CNC, worked in the film business for nearly twenty years, first as a principal actor in television commercials, then as an agent for film directors. In the late nineties, at the pinnacle of her career—while attending the Cannes Film Festival, no less—she decided to switch fields entirely. She would set out in pursuit of a degree in nutrition.

Carol’s desire to learn more about food and its role in a healthy lifestyle was sparked by a two- year stint with an overzealous fitness trainer who talked her into a low-carb regimen. What began as an innocent attempt to improve her diet and fitness level ended in unwarranted restrictive eating and extreme exercise.

Through her studies in holistic nutrition, Carol began to unravel America’s unhealthy preoccupation with food and exercise. In 2001 she earned a Bachelor of Science degree in holistic nutrition from Clayton College of Natural Health, where she graduated with highest honors. That same year, she opened a private nutritional practice in Atlanta. It has since become Carol’s mission to expose the futility of serial dieting and the damage and distress it causes for millions of women.

Born in Pittsburgh, Carol has spent time living on both coasts, and she recently settled in New York City with her husband, John, and their two dogs. She is a seasoned overseas traveler, whose visits to Europe have opened her eyes to the way other cultures eat—routinely enjoying the best foods, even those considered “decadent”, while staying healthy and controlling weight.

Carol divides her time between her Central Florida and Midtown Manhattan offices, counseling clients who include celebrities from the worlds of fashion, music, medicine and business. A regular speaker on subjects ranging from the dangers of fad dieting to osteoporosis, she enjoys expressing her views in magazine pieces and feature columns about lifestyle, beauty and health. She is also an industry expert for Dr. Mehmet Oz’s interactive social Q&A platform, Sharecare.com.

In pursuing her specialty, weight management, Carol targets the disordered eating that results from the American obsession with being thin. With wit and wisdom, she engages us in a new conversation about the importance of eating authentic, high-quality food, and the roles that pleasure and balance play in proper nutrition and maintaining a healthy weight.