Hardly a day goes by when a story about nutrition or diet doesn't hit the newsstands. Whether it's a new "food scare" or the latest Hollywood diet, nutrition stories make good headlines. And with good reason, because what we eat and drink is something that affects everyone of us. While it can sometimes be difficult to demystify the jargon and try to identify what, if any, changes we need to make to improve our health and well being, there are ways to help identify whether the information is science-based and relevant to you.
While family, friends and books are all important, the main sources of information on nutrition today are the media and the Internet. The scores of magazines, newspapers, television and radio programmes and the huge variety of websites on diet and health provide a wealth of information. A lot of good information based on sound science is available. However, sometimes information on diet and food safety can be oversimplified, lack context or even be downright inaccurate. So how can you tell one from the other?
The table below provides some valuable tips for helping to identify if information about science, including nutrition and food safety, is questionable. Claims that sound "too good to be true" and listing foods as "good" or "bad" are some of the warning signs that the information needs careful scrutiny.
Simplifying information
Writers and journalists need to simplify information so that it can be delivered in the context of a story or article. This simplification can sometimes lead to important information being overlooked. For example, stories may fail to place the finding into context or do not include background information. These factors are important considerations when determining whether or not the information relates to you, especially if the story reports on new scientific findings. For example, if a study in Japanese men showed that eating seaweed five times a week prevented cancer, do the findings relate to you? Perhaps and perhaps not. You need to look at how studies are conducted and in which population groups including nationalities, ages and race. Look at the number of people in the study - generally, the larger the number, the more reliable the results. Also check if the results agree with those found by other studies.
It is also important to check the source of the information. Has the study been published in a reputable journal? Has it been reviewed by experts in the area to ensure that it followed scientific procedures and was properly executed?
Is the writer credible? Does the report or study agree with recommendations from credible professional agencies or government departments?
The Internet is an area where careful scrutiny of information is especially warranted. Any one can set up a site on the Internet and cyberspace is littered with misinformation, fraud and quackery. While good science-based information does exist,… some sites are just advertisements to sell particular products or to promote the agendas of political and ideological groups.
Recommendations don't change overnight
Remember that nutrition research, like most other areas of research, is evolutionary. Recommendations on healthy lifestyles don't change overnight. They need to be based on many scientific studies, rigorously conducted and repeated over time in many different groups and reviewed and debated by scientists. A healthy dose of skeptism coupled with common sense and checking with credible authorities is the best way to approach food and nutrition news.
The Ten Red Flags of Junk Science
Be careful if the information contains:
- Recommendations that promise a quick fix.
- Dire warnings of danger from a single product or regime.
- Claims that sound too good to be true.
- Simplistic conclusions drawn from a complex study.
- Recommendations based on a single study.
- Dramatic statements that are refuted by reputable scientific organisations.
- Lists of "good" and "bad" foods.
- Recommendations made to help sell a product.
- Recommendations based on studies published without peer review.
- Recommendations from studies that ignore differences among individuals or groups
FOOD TODAY 09/2002
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