Assignment #7: Nutrition Information and Misinformation

What sources do you use to gather information?  Based on your age, I would guess that 99% of the information you gather is in a digital form.  Correct?  Are magazines and newspapers still considered valid places for you to gather information?  What about textbooks, the College’s library, or other sources?

Your textbook devotes a section to help the reader determine the validity of nutritional information—regardless of the source.  Be sure you can distinguish terms such as accredited, certified nutritionist versus nutritionist, dietician, etc.  How can the ADA, certification, and registration of people providing nutritional information help the consumer? 

It may help to pause and think about what really sells the types of magazines that include diet and “health” as a component.  I’ve never made it a secret that I abhor Women’s World Magazine—always with a diet on the cover.  Always a magic diet.  Always weird—like the bean diet, green smoothie diet, all-you-can-eat soup diets—the list is never ending.  Sadly, many people try to follow these “magic” plans because the diet promises that the secret to weight loss has been discovered, yet again.  UGH.  It is no surprise to me that people just give up on eating health altogether.

The Assignment:

FOR BOTH ASSIGNMENTS, don’t list the question and then answer it.  Answer all parts, but your style should be essay format, easy and informative to read. 

Part 1:  Find two websites—one that appears to contain quality nutritional/diet information from a credible source, and one that appears to be unreliable.  For each, answer the following using the web:

-         Who is responsible for the site?  Is it staffed by a quality professional?  [examine author names and credentials] Have other (outside) experts reviewed the content for accuracy?

-        When was the information updated?  When was the site updated? 

-        Where is the information from?  A .gov or .org site?  Or is it makemeskinnier.com?

-        Why are they informing you?  To educate?  To sell you something (even a magazine/online subscription)?  If money is involved at all—I’d be extremely cautious. 

-        What is the info?  Is it supported by good quality, scientific references?  [careful here, many writers are creative in who and how they quote people to make some articles appear legitimate.]

Part 2:  Find two people—one that appears credible, with educational background to support their expertise in Nutrition, and one that appears as if credentials are absent, false, or just plain crazy. 

               Evaluate the two people—describe why you would believe information from one, yet not the other.

Part 3:  Find two supplements—again, one that appears to be beneficial and able to back up claims and one that promises the moon.  Evaluate these using the “red flags of nutrition quackery” ( as discussed in chapter 2)

1.       Satisfaction guaranteed?

2.      Quick and easy fix?

3.      Natural?

4.      One product does it all?

5.      Time Tested?

6.      Paranoid accusations?

7.      Personal Testimonials

8.      Meaningless Medical Jargon?

Evaluate both supplements with the above “quack test.”  Add in any other information you gather to determine the usefulness of the product (ie scientific studies)

Due tomorrow, 1/13/16, by midnight