discussion question

When reading about nutrition topic, it is important to evaluate the content before using the information to make personal health decisions. In this discussion you will compare and contrast two sources of information on the same topic.

Before preparing your INITIAL POST you should:

View Navigate Safely HON video

Read the assigned Chapter 2 section 2.2, Nutrition Information: Fact or Fiction. 

Read the two articles at the links below.

Compare and contrast the reliability of the information in the articles using text information. Refer to the

red flags

listed in Chapter 2. Choose and discuss one red flag which helps indicate Article #1 is an unreliable source. Next, choose and discuss one of the tips from Table 2.1 which help you to trust that Article #2 is factual.

Finally, demonstrate use of Health on the Net (HON) website by searching for any nutrition topic you choose (do not use WebMD). In a sentence or two, briefly describe your topic. Provide a link to the HON code certified website on your topic.

Article 1: Benefits of Acai Berry Supplements: Retrieved 9/6/14 from

http://www.acaiberry.org/benefits.html

Article 2: Reviewed by David Kiefer, MD. (8/3/2014) WebMD. Acai Berries and Acai Berry Juice – What Are the Health Benefits? Retrieved 9/6/14 from

http://www.webmd.com/diet/acai-berries-and-acai-berry-juice-what-are-the-health-benefits

Search the HON website:

http://www.hon.ch/HONsearch/Patients/index.html

Please include your name in the subject line of your initial post. Lastly, reply to at least one other student with an substantive comment.

red flags

1. Promises of quick and easy remedies for complex health-related problems: “Our product helps you lose weight without exercising or dieting,” or “Garlic cures heart disease.”

2. Claims that sound too good to be true: “Our all-natural product blocks fat and calories from being absorbed, so you can eat everything you like and still lose weight.” Such claims are rarely true. Remember, if the claim sounds too good to be true, it probably is not true.

3. Scare tactics that include sensational, frightening, false, or misleading statements about a food, dietary practice, or health condition: “Dairy products cause cancer,” or “Eating sugar causes hyperactivity.”

47

4. Personal attacks on the motives and ethical standards of registered dietitian nutritionists or conventional scientists: “Dietitians and physicians don’t want you to know the facts about natural cures for cancer, diabetes, and heart disease because they’ll lose money if you get well.” Such statements indicate unsubstantiated biases against bona fide nutrition experts and the scientific community.

5. Statements about the superiority of certain dietary supplements or unconventional medical practices: “Russian scientists have discovered the countless health benefits of taking Siberian ginseng,” or “Colon cleansing with herbs is the only cure for intestinal cancer.”

6. Testimonials and anecdotes as evidence of effectiveness: “I lost 50 pounds in 30 days using this product,” or “I rubbed this vitamin formula on my scar and it disappeared in days.” Reliable nutrition information is based on scientific evidence, not testimonials and anecdotes.

7. Information that promotes a product’s benefits while overlooking its risks: “Our all-natural supplement boosts your metabolism naturally so it won’t harm your system.” Anything you consume, even water, can be toxic in high doses. Beware of any source of information that fails to mention the possible side effects of using a dietary supplement or nutrition-related treatment.

8. Vague, meaningless, or scientific-sounding terms to impress or confuse consumers: “Our all-natural, clinically tested, patented, chelated dietary supplement works best.”

9. Sensational statements with incomplete references of sources: “Clinical research performed at a major university and published in a distinguished medical journal indicates food manufacturers add ingredients to their products that make you hungry and fat,” or “Millions of Americans suffer from various nutritional deficiencies.” Which “major university” and “distinguished medical journal”? What study reported that “millions of Americans” are deficient in nutrients?

10. Recommendations based on a single study: “Research conducted at our private health facility proves coffee enemas can cure cancer.”

11. Information concerning nutrients or human physiology that is not supported by reliable scientific evidence: “Now, you can combine certain foods based on your blood type,” or “Most diseases are caused by undigested food that gets stuck in your guts,” or “People with alkaline bodies don’t develop cancer.”

12. Results disclaimers, usually in small or difficult-to-read print: “Results may vary,” or “Results not typical” (

Fig. 2.7

). Disclaimers are clues that the product may not live up to your expectations or the manufacturer’s claims.