Nutrition information is proliferating in cyberspace. Your computer can take you to breaking nutrition news, the latest weight loss advice, nearly endless nutrition resources, interactive online diet programs and even the chance to 'chat' with professionals. However, you still need to separate fact from fiction.
Like other media, the "information super highway" is also littered with biased opinions, questionable advice, and sometimes flat-out misinformation. Use the same healthy skepticism with online information that you use to evaluate other nutrition information in the "brick" and "mortar" world.
How can you determine if a Website provides sound nutrition information?
Be your own nutrition "myth" information detective. Use this checklist as your guide.
Does the site:
- Identify its owner or sponsor? That's a clue to the site's perspective or potential bias.
- Name its content contributors, along with their credentials and an affiliation, if applicable? For instance, does the site have nutrition content writers who are true nutrition experts, such as registered dietitians?
- Base its facts and figures on cited, science-based sources, not just opinions? Opinions can be intriguing and informative, but only when you know they're opinions and they're not disguised as solid facts.
- Provide links to other credible online sites? Check out the links yourself.
- Have regular updates and postings? If so, it's usually a better (but not fool proof) indicator of sound nutrition information than one with irregular updates or only periodic postings.
- Seem to have a bias, as in, does it sells products based on the site's nutrition information? Judge for yourself, see if you believe there's a connection.
Happy nutrition myth-detecting!
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