Nutritionism

hunger, survival (energy), social, stress, boredom, fatigue, appetite, availability

Why do we eat?

- just b/c there is correlation in the findings of some data, does not mean that one variable caused the other one to happen - could be 2 completely different things and you could choose data points that match each other and show that they are correlated but they could have absolutely nothing to do with each other

explain "correlation does not imply causation?"

low fat, low calorie -- oatmeal instead of cereal - fiber --cut out diary and gluten - food sensitivity -- snacking - fruit/veggies instead of chips/chocolate --water, no soda

how can we move beyond nutritionism?

epidemiological trials - case control study --> reporting bias - observational study (prospective, retrospective, selection bias) - randomized control trials (drug studies, research)

how do we study nutrition?

decreased caloric density salt - increased fluid consumption complex tastes decreased fiber - increase simple carbs increase liquids

how does the food industry bypass the fixed stomach?

-everyone needs different things - how food is cooked - too vague - doesn't define what food is - how much is enough - depends on physical activity

pollan advises us to eat food, not too much, mostly plants. Is this simple philosophy adequate to address the problems of nutrition today? Why or why not?

nutrients matter more than food need expert help eating scientifically

what are the 3 pernicious myths regarding nutritional science?

convenience super-size me accessibility processed fat, salt, sweet addictive shelf-life

what are the characteristics of the western diet?

FDA stamp of approval 3rd party certification how much processing chemicals harvested vitamins/minerals

what determines food quality?

under-report calories don't report some things they ate client is responsible for own tracking and being honest

what is a problem with the food frequency questionnaire?

practices attitudes and beliefs as well as networks and institutions surrounding the production, distribution and consumption of food

what is food culture?

study of physical, biological and chemical makeup of food and concepts underlying food processing

what is food science?

eating nutrients, not foods

what is meant by the term nutritionism?

unhealthy obsession about healthy eating

what is orthorexia?

assuming that what we can see is important - cholesterol - triglycerides - C-reactive proteins - homocysteine

what is parking lot science? What are some examples?

hypothesis are treated as fact because it is difficult/costly to find true causation

what is sort-of-science?

- food industrialization - chronic disease - tinkering w/ western diet - adjusting nutrients, not question value - there is hope - adapting to diff. diets, reversing damage

what is the nutrition transition?

it is subjective

what is the problem with moderation?

back to the 1900s resolving lipid hypothesis eat less beef and dairy replaced by artful compromise no more eat less blaming nutrients instead of food

what is the significance of the 1977 Dietary Goals of the United States?

eating more of one thing means eating less of another

what is the zero sum relationship?

vitamins and minerals accessory nutrients

what makes a food protective?

determining dietary intake - food frequency questionnaire, 24 hr dietary recall how accurate is the data - under-report calories - correcting faulty data

what problems arise when we wish to assess what people eat?

food industry nutritional industrial complex journalists alternative practitioners

who benefits from nutrition confusion?