Let’s face it. Not everything we read online is true. And 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 information. I’m going to walk you through an example of a three-step problem-solving approach that was developed for Dietitians of Canada’s Nutrition Month 2017 campaign Take the Fight out of Food, which works quite well for nutritional concerns.
Let’s call this client Leanne. She was struggling to make sense of the nutrition advice she read online and wanted nutrition facts she could trust.
1) Spot the problem: There is so much nutrition information online and Leanne is not sure how to tell if something is a fad! She doesn’t know what to believe.
2) Get the facts: Leanne learns that some websites are more reliable than others. She found a resource on the Dietitians of Canada website that can help her determine if facts she reads online are accurate. She was reading websites and absorbing information, but not all of it was true. She needs to be more critical and ask herself these questions when she’s 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?
Now Leanne knows that if she answers “yes” to most of these questions, the website may not be reliable.
3) Seek support: Leanne learned that she should not trust everyone who has an opinion about food and nutrition. Instead, she will look for sites that aren’t trying to sell her something and that rely on science rather than opinions. She will check the credentials of the writers, and looks for sites written by regulated health professionals whose work is reviewed by other experts.
Do you sometimes feel like you are drowning in misinformation too? Find a dietitian at www.dietitians.ca/find for advice. You can also visit these sites, which are filled with reliable information:
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 have any questions, post in the comments below (or email me!). I'm always here for support.
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Felicia Newell is a Nutritionist, Dietitian, Food and Nutrition Expert, Health Coach, and a mom of 4 boys under 6! She is also the owner of Sustain Nutrition. Felicia wears many hats, and knows what it is like to try and live healthy in a busy world, where our environments aren't always supportive of making healthy choices.
Life is busy, confusing at times, and full of contradictions, especially in the world of health and wellness. Felicia is passionate in helping others fight through the misinformation out there, and to navigate life and health, but most importantly, to enjoy the crap out of it while doing it.
She has over 11 years of education and experience in Nutritional Sciences. Between completing her Bachelor and Masters in Nutritional Sciences, working at a research centre, teaching university courses, years of nutrition counselling helping people crush their goals, and being a busy mom of 4 young boys, she has the passion, skills, education, and experience to help others reach health and wellness in a way that works for them.