Can You Trust a Skinny Chef?

Before Carla Hall became co-host of ABC's "The Chew" or a contestant on Bravo's "Top Chef" or even a chef at all, she was a skinny little girl who grew up in Nashville, Tennessee, where food and fatness were signs of love. She learned good cooks didn't look like her -- rather, the chubbier they were, the better.

"You heard it all the time: Never trust a skinny chef," says Hall, who's nearly 6 feet tall and now living in the District of Columbia.

As she got older, but not wider, Hall heard it again. When she was catering in the capital, partygoers would look at her with surprised skepticism if she entered the room after they tried -- and liked -- her food. "It's as if to say, 'I wouldn't have trusted your food if I'd seen you first,'" Hall says.

Today, 51-year-old Hall still hears it, but not so much. After all, diners today are more health-conscious, she thinks. "If you look at me and I'm a chef and I'm eating well and maintaining my weight, it seems like you'd want to know what I'm doing," Hall says.

Hall hasn't always been so slender. When she first joined "The Chew," she gained 20 pounds in three months. "I was winded when I would go up the steps," she says.

Then, Hall learned how to taste: No matter how much she loves a recipe featured on an episode, she only has one perfectly curated bite -- and savors it slowly. She cooks simple, mostly organic meals at home -- think grilled chicken and corn with a side of sautéed collard greens -- and doesn't drink alcohol. She loves Bikram yoga, but when a studio's not near, she simply walks instead of hailing a cab, or takes the stairs instead of the elevator. Even when she knows she'll be seated for a long time, she sits up straight and engages her core. "There are little things that I try to do just to get some activity," she says.

So should you trust a skinny chef? Absolutely, Hall says -- but you shouldn't distrust a hefty one, either. "It's really hard to judge because everybody has a different body type," she says. "I don't expect everybody to be my size, just like people shouldn't expect me to be big because I eat my food. I know plenty of thin people who can eat you under the table."

Here's what other food and fitness professionals say about how much their looks reflect their skills:

Never Trust a Personal Trainer With a Roll: True or False?

When shopping for a personal trainer, what do you look for? A taut tummy? Bulging biceps? Lean legs? Chances are, a personal trainer's appearance plays at least some role in your likelihood of choosing him or her -- and that's OK, says Kelly Coffey, a personal trainer at Strong Coffey Personal Training in Northampton, Massachusetts.

"That's how personal trainers demonstrate that they know what they're talking about -- they're extremely fit," she says. "Your body, your demeanor, your personality [all] project how good you are at your job."

But looks aren't the only thing when it comes to finding a match made in fitness heaven. More important, Coffey says, is hiring someone who has been where you are -- whether it's 50 pounds overweight or lacking endurance -- and has gotten to where you want to go -- whether it's dropping a size or running a marathon. "The fact they have done that ... has a huge impact on your ability to stay motivated and feel understood," Coffey says.

That philosophy has worked for Coffey, who used to weigh more than 300 pounds. Her openness about her weight and body image issues, which she blogs about at StrongCoffey.com, is "why people come to me, and it's why people stay with me for years and years," she says. "They're comfortable with me being a support person that whole time because I know how hard it is to make the changes that they're making and that I understand their struggle."

So should you trust an unfit-looking personal trainer? Get their back story first. "When it comes to physical fitness and anything wellness-related," Coffey says, "honesty and transparency go a long way."

Never Trust a Nutritionist Who Orders a Shake and Fries: True or False?

In March, The Huffington Post asked 10 nutritionists what they'd order if they had to eat at McDonald's. Among the predictable answers -- side salad, sugarless oatmeal, kid-sized portions of fruit, to name a few -- one response stood out: "I'd get fresh, hot fries (not wimpy cold ones) and a small chocolate shake," admitted Rebecca Scritchfield, a dietitian in District of Columbia and U.S. News Eat+Run blogger.

Gulp. Can Scritchfield be trusted?

Although she was criticized by some colleagues, Scritchfield stands by her words. "What that [response] would say to me is that this is not a dietitian who lives by rigid food rules, which can be unsustainable," she says. "Just because they like fast food, doesn't mean they have a burger-and-fries daily habit." As she goes on to say in her response to The Huffington Post, "I wouldn't worry about nutrition right now because it's not in the cards. I'd rather get a healthy meal I could savor later, and something quick and enjoyable now."

Scritchfield says dietitians' imperfections can be assets on the job. "We might get a little too full at a meal and feel uncomfortable, but we're also compassionate that that happens a lot to people," she says. "And if a dietitian has been there, they actually know more about the struggle of making new habits. And so it's a bonus."

If you're in the market for a nutrition expert, look for someone who respects your past and future goals. Scritchfield also recommends sticking with registered dietitians, who are board-certified professionals trained in the science of nutrition. (While many dietitians also call themselves "nutritionists," the latter term alone doesn't require any training.)

Who shouldn't you trust? Someone "who offers a too-good-to-be-true, quick-fix plan," Scritchfield says. "Trust someone who's willing to admit they're human, and they make the same mistakes you do."