Each year, consumers spend a huge amount of money on nutrition-related services and products from both legitimate and fraudulent businesses. Nutrition quackery is a problem that often escapes government regulation and enforcement. Unlike other scams, “dietary supplements” or “medical devices” can mean more than just losing a few dollars – it can affect your overall health!
Read the Chapter 1 Controversy on “Sorting the Imposters from the Real Nutrition Experts” and review Tables C1-1, C1-2, and C-3. Become familiar with the credible sources of nutrition information. For your post:
- Explore one of the following websites: Quackwatch or Snopes.
- Identify one health related hoax or one example of nutrition quackery and provide a link to the web page.
- Describe at least two (2) of the “earmarks of nutrition quackery” outlined in Figure C1-1 that relate to your topic.
- Summarize in 2-3 sentences what you have learned about deciphering credible information from nutrition experts compared to scammers.
In order to cover as many topics as possible, include the title of your topic in your thread title.
No double posts! No duplicate topics will be accepted – you each need to find your own example, so the first one to post on a specific topic will receive credit. Early posters definitely have it easier. Be sure to preview all previous posts before making your selection.
Your initial post should be a minimum of 250 words. In addition to posting your own thread, read and comment on at least ONE of your fellow classmates’ posts (100 word minimum). Your response needs to go beyond simply saying, “I agree” or “You’re wrong.” Ask questions of each other, bring up new ideas, or perhaps discuss information you’ve seen about this topic before that relates to what your classmates had to say. This peer response is worth 5 points of your total score.