Chapter 2: Evaluating Nutrition Information

The Food and Drug Administration regulates nutrition information in books and other forms of popular media (True or False)

False

Which is true about control groups?

the results of an experiment are unclear or inaccurate if no control group is used.

Prior to publishing an experiment,

the results and analysis are peer-reviewed by other subject matter experts

Peer Review

Critical analysis of an article about a study submitted to a journal that is conducted by a group of investigators (peers) who were NOT part of the study but are experts involved in related research

Placebo Effect

Describes human studies in which neither the investigators nor the subjects are aware of the subject's group assignments

Variable

Factor, such as a person's age, weight ,or environment that can change and influence the outcome of a study (A good experiment only has 1 or 2)

Placebo

Fake treatment (such as a pill, injection, or medical procedure)

The __________ Amendment to the U.S. Constitution guarantees freedom of the press and speech, so people can provide false nutrition information.

First

Nutrition scientists conduct _______________ epidemiological studies to obtain information about health conditions that may result from specific dietary practices

experimental

confounders

factors that were not being studied but could have influenced the outcomes of the research.

Nutrient deficiency diseases are a result of:

lack of proper nutrition & poor diets

testimonial

personal endorsement of a product

Red flag cues that indicate a source of information is unreliable:

1. Promises of quick easy remedies 2. Claims that sound too good to be true 3. Scare tactic 4. Attacks on conventional scientists and nutrition experts 5. Testimonials and anecdotes 6. Promotes benefits while overlooking risks 7. Vague, meaningless, or scientific-sounding terms 8. Vague sources 9. Pseudoscience 10. Disclaimers

A control group is important for which of the following reasons?

1.it allows scientists to determine if a treatment had an effect 2.it enables scientists to control the influence of control variables unrelated to the study 3.it is important to the validity and accuracy of an experiment

Scientific Method

A logical, systematic approach to the solution of a scientific problem

Researchers from Cornell University have written a manuscript about the impact of soy consumption on breast cancer risk. Which of the following people is best qualified to be a peer reviewer of the manuscript before its published?

A researcher from the University of Illinois who specialized in soy research, but did not collaborate on the study.

Inverse or Negative Correlation

Describes the relationship that occurs when one variable increases and the other one decreases (the variables change in opposite directions)

Direct or Positive Correlation

Describes the relationship that occurs when two variables increase or decrease in the same direction

pellagra

Disease cause by a deficiency of niacin, a B vitamin

Cohort Study

Epidemiological study in which researchers collect and analyze various kinds of information about a large group of people over time

In Vitro Experiments

Experiments on cells or other components derived from living organisms (test tube)

Anecdotal evidence is science-based and very credible. (True or False)

False

Popular health-related magazines typically publish articles that have been peer-reviewed. (True or False)

False

Control Group

Group in a controlled study that does not receive a treatment

Treatment (or Experimental) Group

Group in a controlled study that receives a treatment

Double-blind

In studies involving human subjects, the situation that occurs when a subject reports having positive results even though he or she is taken a placebo

Which of the following is true about a case-control study?

Individuals with a health condition are matched with individuals without the condition but with similar characteristics

Retrospective Cohort Study

Look back in time; Study in which researchers collect information about a group's PAST exposures and identify current health outcomes; (Often used to determine relationship between diet and health) Example:

What is the first step in the scientific method?

Observation of a natural phenomenon

anecdotes

Personal reports concerning a treatment's effectiveness

Hypothesis

Possible explanation of an observation that guides scientific research

_____________ promotes useless medical treatments

Quackery

Correlation

Relationship between two variables (Example: when population's intake of sugar increases, percentage of people with obesity also increases)

Prospective Cohort Study

Study in which a group of initially healthy people are followed over a time period and any diseases that eventually develop are recorded

case-control study

Study in which individuals with a health condition (cases) are matched to persons with similar characteristics who do not have the condition

Epidemiology

Study of the occurrence, distribution, and causes of health problems in populations

Experiment

Systematic way of testing a hypothesis

A cohort study is a type of observational epidemiological study? (True or False)

True

A placebo is a sham treatment that does not provide measurable effects. (True or False)

True

By conducting a prospective epidemiological study, medical researchers can determine risk factors that may influence health. (True or False)

True

Testimonials are not a valid representation of a products effectiveness. (True or False)

True

The dynamic and rapidly advancing field of nutrition necessitates that scientists change their recommendations in the light of new, substantiated feelings. (True or False)

True

Registered dietitian

a college-trained health-care professional who has extensive knowledge of foods and nutrition

A(n) ______________ is a report of personal experiences

anecdote

Some funding sources of scientific research can have certain expectations or ____________ about research outcomes, and as result, are likely to finance studies of scientists whose research support their interests.

bias

Epidemiological studies _________ establish causation

cannot

A valid experiment requires both a treatment and a _____________ group

control

The participants in an experiment who are NOT given the treatment being tested are known as the ___________ group

control

Generally, a fake medicine or treatment used to disguise the treatments given to the participants in an experiment is called a _____________

placebo

National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES)

survey that uses interviews and physical examinations to assess the health and nutritional status of adults and children in the United States

Which of the following are true statements about pseudoscience?

-It uses vague or unprovable claims -It does not adhere to valid scientific methodology -It is a presentation of inaccurate information

Who are the subjects in a case-control study?

-Person(s) without the disease or condition under investigation -Person(s) with the disease or condition under investigation

A(n) ______________ is a systematic way of testing a hypothesis

experiment

A member of a treatment group

receives a medication or exercise that is being evaluated

The best approach to solving nutrition imbalances includes consulting a _________________

registered dietitian

Nutrition researchers rely on the ______________ method, which involves making observations, asking questions, and developing hypothesis.

scientific

causation

specific practice that is responsible for an effect

Major nutrition organizations put together a list of red flags that signal poor nutrition advice. These include which of the following?

-Recommendations based on a single study -Claims that sound too good to be true -Recommendations that promise a quick fix

To evaluate various sources of nutrition information, a person can ask?

-What motivates the authors, promoters, or sponsors that provide the information? -Who is the Source? -What is the source?

The RD credentials indicates that the person

-has completed rigorous classroom work in nutrition -participates in continuing education -has completed rigorous clinical training in nutrition

Which of the following are methods used to share credible nutrition information with consumers?

-presented at professional nutrition conferences -presented in peer-reviewed journals

In Vivo Experiments

Experiments that use whole living organisms (example: mice)

Nutritionists have the same educational backgrounds and professional certifications as registered dietitians. (True or False)

False

Observational epidemiological studies includes

cohort studies & case-controlled studies

Epidemiologists often rely on ___________ people to obtain health data.

surveys of & physical examinations of