What is your overall evaluation of the nutrition claim?

Evaluation of Nutrition Claim
Choose a nutrition-related claim to critique. The claim can come from a popular magazine,
newspaper, website, book, documentary, video, social media page, product label or
advertisement. The claim can be related to any popular diet, supplement, food, ingredient, or
eating strategy as it relates to any aspect of health, fitness, wellness, or performance. To
receive full credit, please choose a claim (from one of the above sources) that cites some
supporting “research” and contains enough information to do a thoughtful critique (5 pts.).
Write a 2-3 page, typed, double-spaced paper (12 pt. font with 1” margins) in which you
thoroughly answer the 3 questions below and include your references (in either MLA or APA
citation format) at the end. NOTE: Your citations should include your nutrition claim source, as
well as 2 additional scientific research references (from peer-reviewed journals or credible
government/professional organizations) that either support or refute the claim (5 pts.).
Please proof-read your paper for correct grammar/spelling (5 pts.).
______________________________________________________________________________
#1. What is the nutrition claim being made and how trustworthy is the source? 10 pts.
• Who is the author/person making the claim? Do this person’s credentials, work
affiliations, education, and experience provide you with confidence that they are a
credible and unbiased source of nutrition information?
• Where is the claim published? Is this a reliable source of nutrition information? Who
paid for the publication? Is there any conflict of interest or potential sources of bias?
#2. How good is the “research” supporting the claim? 10 pts.
• Is it anecdotal/testimonials or actual research published in peer-reviewed journals?
• How strong is the study design (observational vs. intervention; randomized, double-
blind, placebo-controlled)? Any confounding factors that may affect the study’s results?
• Who were the subjects, how many subjects were used, what was the study duration?
NOTE: If any of the above details are not provided by the claim’s source and therefore
unknown to you, that weakens the claim’s credibility – be sure to state that in your paper!
#3. What is your overall evaluation of the nutrition claim? Is the claim put in proper
perspective and presented in a responsible manner? 15 pts.
• Any mention to how many studies support vs. reject the claim?
• Any warning about adverse side effects or risks?
• Any acknowledgement of other factors that have a more significant impact on health,
fitness, wellness, and performance than the one being mentioned in the claim?
NOTE: Please use 2 scientific research references (from peer-reviewed journals or
government/professional organizations) to give your overall evaluation about the claim.

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