There is a lot of confusion about nutrition
these days and this is often related to the massive amount of information in
the media, including television, radio, the internet, social media, magazines,
etc. There are other examples; these are
just some of the common sources of nutrition information and misinformation
found in the media.
In chapter 2 we learned about common red
flags and ways of identifying nutrition information that may not be valid.
For this assignment I ask you to keep your
eyes and ears open this semester for nutrition in the news/media – when you
spot something that is interesting, consider whether or not the information,
the headline is really science based.
This should be a current piece (within the last 3-6 months preferably). The current event pieces can include videos,
newspaper articles, journal articles, social media clips, TV shows, magazine
articles, etc. You will need to share
the clip, link, or file in your discussion thread. In your thread you should also include a
quick overview of what the piece is about and how this is interesting to
you. When you find something interesting
please post it the appropriate discussion board using your topic title as the
subject line for the thread
You should use your knowledge of nutrition
science that you will accumulate to determine whether or not the story is
really science or if it is really another myth.
You will carefully review the information in the story/article/video/at
the site and identify any “red flags” for misinformation (see the list of
characteristics in the passage called “Look for Red Flags” in Section
2.3). You will then evaluate the quality
of the information presented. You should
summarize red flags and potential concerns for bias within the discussion
post. Students should identify and
attach the source of the piece/URL of the site and its sponsorship; summarize
the information, including health-related claims; evaluate the site for bias;
and search the site for any disclaimers.
Be sure to include the correct APA citation with the original attachment, URL, etc.
for the item you are discussing.
