Unit 2: SmartBook

What is an important consideration when making dietary recommendations?

Research on the same topic can often lead to conflicting results, so dietary recommendations should be based on the totality of the evidence.

__________ can refer to when individuals in the control group attribute health benefits to a therapy they unknowingly did not receive.

The placebo effect

An ________ is a report of personal experiences.

anecdote

If your neighbor comes over to discuss a new energy drink that she has been taking to get her through the afternoon, her experience would be known as an ________.

anecdote

A participant or animal who does not receive the treatment being studied is a member of the _______ group.

control

The _________ department at an accredited college or university is a good place to find qualified nutrition experts.

dietetics

If neither the participants nor the researchers are aware of each participant's group assignment, it is considered a ________ study.

double-blind

Consumers need to critically evaluate nutrition claims in popular media because __________.

freedom of speech allows people to provide information that is not true

In a double-blind research study, __________ are aware of who is in the control/treatment groups.

neither the participants nor the researchers

Testimonials and anecdotes are ________ sources of nutrition information.

not reliable

After a scientific question is tested once using the scientific method, ____________.

other researchers may conduct additional studies to examine the original scientific question

When researchers write an article about their study and submit it to a scientific journal, it undergoes peer review, which means that ___________.

other researchers with appropriate knowledge will judge the scientific merit of the article.

The expert critical analysis of a research article before it is published is known as __________.

peer review

In a research study, members of the treatment group ________.

receive the treatment that is being evaluated

"Money back" guarantees, use of testimonials and anecdotes as evidence of effectiveness, and promotion of a product's benefits without reference to its risks, are examples of __________.

red flags

A _________ would be considered the most dependable source of nutrition information because of the extensive training in human nutrition required for that title.

registered dietician

There is a risk of ________ when a funding source could potentially gain from a particular study outcome.

research bias

Reliable information on the Internet can be found by ___________.

searching sites that are managed by nationally recognized health organizations

Consumers __________ nutrition information found in popular media such as magazines and the Internet, especially when scientific-sounding terms like "enzymatic therapy" are included.

should be skeptical of

When people report positive or negative reactions to a treatment even though they received the placebo, this is known as __________.

the placebo effect

When searching for accurate nutrition information, watching television commercials, home shopping network programs, or infomercials __________.

would not be the most reliable sources

Your best friend Sarah just purchased a weight loss product because the testimonials on the TV ad reported a 20-pound weight loss in 20 days. What would you tell her about the TV ad?

It may be biased in favor of a product without being based on scientific facts.

The _________ is one of the most well-known population studies related to nutrition.

Framingham Heart Study

Choose the scenarios in which the funding source's reasons for wanting to fund scientific research may relate to research bias.

- A food manufacturer desires to fund a study investigating only the benefits of their products on overall health. - A pharmaceutical company wants to fund a study investigating only the positive effects of their weight loss supplement. - A food industry does not want to fund a study investigating a specific food's relationship to chronic disease.

Which of the following are not likely to consistently be reliable sources of scientific-based nutrition information?

- Best-selling books - Infomercials - Popular magazines

Select the topics for which a registered dietitian would have extensive knowledge.

- Dietetics - Food - Nutrition

Which of the following are appropriate suggestions to help consumers be more critical of nutrition-related information or products?

- Do not believe everything you read or hear about nutrition. - Examine the scientific credentials of the individual or company making a claim. - Ask questions about the source of the nutrition information.

Choose the statements that describe the methods used in The Framingham Heart Study.

- Participants completed surveys about family and medical histories as well as dietary and lifestyle practices. - Over 5,000 people were initially enrolled and underwent physical examinations.

Which of the following are common red flags of nutrition information?

- Scare tactics - Promises of quick and easy health remedies - Claims that sound too good to be true

Which of the following are ways to be a careful consumer of nutrition information from the internet?

- Search multiple websites. - Do not trust information on websites that do not indicate valid sources. - Avoid websites that provide online diagnoses and treatments.

Select reasons why two researchers can investigate the same question but end up with conflicting results.

- Subjects in the two studies may have different lifestyle and dietary habits. - The study designs may be different. - The results may be analyzed in different ways.

Rank the following steps of the scientific method in order, beginning with the first step.

1. Observe 2. Develop a question 3. Test the question 4. Analyze the findings 5. Form conclusions 6. Share the results

Choose the statement that correctly describes RDs and RDNs.

Both RDs and RDNs must regularly maintain certification based on nationally established standards.

Since the _______ Amendment to the U.S. Constitution guarantees freedom of the press and speech, people can provide false nutrition information without repercussions.

First