You can’t believe everything you read online. While many of us know that, it’s still easy to be taken in by popular ideas we see online or hear from friends. How can we really separate food fact from fiction?
Misinformation affects many of my clients, but there is a way to spot your problem and seek reliable facts to solve it. Let’s explore how this three-step problem-solving approach that was developed for Dietitians of Canada’s Nutrition Month 2017 campaign “Take the Fight out of Food,” can help.
Parents often struggle to make sense of the nutrition advice they read online about feeding their babies and kids. This is also very common during pregnancy when you start looking online for what you can and can’t eat. Here’s a good way to look for information you can trust.
Spot the problem: There is so much nutrition information online it’s hard to tell if something is a fad! People often contact me not knowing what to believe.
Get the facts: The truth is that some websites are more reliable than others. There is a resource on the Dietitians of Canada website that can help you determine if the facts you read online are accurate. Often when you are reading websites and absorbing information, not all of it was true. It’s very important to be more critical and ask yourself these questions when you are reading a website:
· Is the website promising a quick fix or a miracle cure?
· Do I have reasons to mistrust the person, organization or company that runs the website?
· Are they trying to sell me something instead of educating me?
· Are the website writers unqualified to be giving me nutrition information?
· Do they have facts that sound too good to be true?
· Does the information come from personal opinions rather than scientific evidence?
· Is the content missing reviews or verification by medical experts?
· Are the website claims based on a single study that may draw the wrong conclusion?
If you answered “yes” to most of these questions, the website may not be reliable.
Seek support: It’s important to not trust everyone who has an opinion about food and nutrition. Instead, look for sites that aren’t trying to sell you something and that rely on science rather than opinions. Be sure to check the credentials of the writers, and look for sites written by regulated health professionals whose work is reviewed by other experts.
Here are some sites that have reliable information:
· www.dietitians.ca
· www.eatrightontario.ca
· www.healthlinkbc.ca
· www.healthycanadians.gc.ca
· www.dietitians.ca/Media/Member-Blogs.aspx
. www.ellynsatterinstitute.org/
Do you have a food fight that you struggle with? Try the three-step approach to Take the Fight out of Food and make your commitment official at www.nutritionmonth2017.ca. If you need more support, this is something that I can always help with. Contact Jill, Nurture The Future’s Registered Dietitian at [email protected]
References: Adapted from the Dietitians of Canada’s Nutrition Month campaign materials. Find more information about Nutrition Month at: www.nutritionmonth2017.ca.
Misinformation affects many of my clients, but there is a way to spot your problem and seek reliable facts to solve it. Let’s explore how this three-step problem-solving approach that was developed for Dietitians of Canada’s Nutrition Month 2017 campaign “Take the Fight out of Food,” can help.
Parents often struggle to make sense of the nutrition advice they read online about feeding their babies and kids. This is also very common during pregnancy when you start looking online for what you can and can’t eat. Here’s a good way to look for information you can trust.
Spot the problem: There is so much nutrition information online it’s hard to tell if something is a fad! People often contact me not knowing what to believe.
Get the facts: The truth is that some websites are more reliable than others. There is a resource on the Dietitians of Canada website that can help you determine if the facts you read online are accurate. Often when you are reading websites and absorbing information, not all of it was true. It’s very important to be more critical and ask yourself these questions when you are reading a website:
· Is the website promising a quick fix or a miracle cure?
· Do I have reasons to mistrust the person, organization or company that runs the website?
· Are they trying to sell me something instead of educating me?
· Are the website writers unqualified to be giving me nutrition information?
· Do they have facts that sound too good to be true?
· Does the information come from personal opinions rather than scientific evidence?
· Is the content missing reviews or verification by medical experts?
· Are the website claims based on a single study that may draw the wrong conclusion?
If you answered “yes” to most of these questions, the website may not be reliable.
Seek support: It’s important to not trust everyone who has an opinion about food and nutrition. Instead, look for sites that aren’t trying to sell you something and that rely on science rather than opinions. Be sure to check the credentials of the writers, and look for sites written by regulated health professionals whose work is reviewed by other experts.
Here are some sites that have reliable information:
· www.dietitians.ca
· www.eatrightontario.ca
· www.healthlinkbc.ca
· www.healthycanadians.gc.ca
· www.dietitians.ca/Media/Member-Blogs.aspx
. www.ellynsatterinstitute.org/
Do you have a food fight that you struggle with? Try the three-step approach to Take the Fight out of Food and make your commitment official at www.nutritionmonth2017.ca. If you need more support, this is something that I can always help with. Contact Jill, Nurture The Future’s Registered Dietitian at [email protected]
References: Adapted from the Dietitians of Canada’s Nutrition Month campaign materials. Find more information about Nutrition Month at: www.nutritionmonth2017.ca.
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