I constantly see memes, pins on Pinterest, and countless “articles” that spout off nonsense regarding health, nutrition, and exercise. More often than not, there is no source cited, and they can give information that is not only completely wrong, but sometimes dangerous.
So, how do you protect yourself from these sorts of articles? Well, luckily there is an organization known as The Food and Nutrition Science Alliance (FANSA) that is a coalition of 6 organizations: The American College of Nutrition (ACN), the American Dietetic Association (ADA), the American Society for Nutrition (ASN), the American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition (ASPEN), the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT), and the Society for Nutrition Education (SNE).
Why are you telling me this?
FANSA has put out a fantastic guide for consumers looking for information on the Internet and in the media titled “The 10 Red Flags of Junk Science.” Anyone interested in health, fitness, or nutrition should keep this list handy and compare it to what they read.
- Recommendations that promise a quick fix.
- Dire warnings of danger from a single product or regimen.
- Claims that sound too good to be true.
- Simplistic conclusions drawn from a single study.
- Recommendations based on a single study.
- Dramatic statements that are refuted by reputable scientific organizations.
- 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.
I personally have one more guideline that I follow:
- If there are no sources, and / or the author is underqualified, the article should be treated as nonsense until corroborated with a legitimate source.
Example of this: An article I read made a really interesting claim, citing a study that supported the claim. There were no sources, no links, and the author had no related credentials. I then searched for the study the article referenced and found it.
Think about these guidelines, and think about articles you’ve read, or what sort of infographics you’ve shared over social media– Would it be safe to say that the vast majority of the information out there is “junk science” based on these guidelines?
I would say so, and it’s only further contributing to the sort of scientific illiteracy / ignorance that pervades society. It’s so easy to find the right answer, you just have to find the source and not go out of your way to “believe” in something else.
That’s great and all, but why should I care?
I spent the better part of a few years spinning my wheels as far as achieving my goals because I followed advice and programs that were nearly completely devoid science– I’m very thankful that I’ve learned all that I have, because now I’m on track to achieve what I originally set out to do.
Sources / More Reading:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Junk_science
http://foodsafety.k-state.edu/en/news-details.php?a=4&c=30&sc=218&id=1448
http://www.thefreelibrary.com/ADA+SERVES+UP+10+RED+FLAGS+TO+SPOT+JUNK+SCIENCE-a018017129