Top 10 Signs of Junk Science
The missing details often missing include information about how many people were in the study, who was studied (gender, age, ethnicity, socioeconomic level, education level, genetics), how did researchers pick the people to study, how long did the study last, what type of study was conducted, was the study done on humans or lab rats, what question was being studied, were the subjects paid or did they volunteer, who paid for the study and what statistical method was used to evaluate the data. National nutrition and health recommendations are made when a lot of studies agree with each other.
How can you figure out if the science is valid or junk science? The Food and Nutrition Science Alliance (FANSA) developed the ”Ten Red Flags of Junk Science” to help you recognized misinformation about nutrition and health. FANSA is a partnership between the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, American Society of Clinical Nutrition, Institute of Food Technologists and the American Society for Nutritional Sciences. The red flags are:
1. Recommendations that promise a quick fix.
2. Dire warning of danger from a single product or regimen.
3. Claims that sound too good to be true.
4. Simple conclusions drawn from a complex scientific study.
5. Recommendations based on a single study.
6. Dramatic statements that are refuted by reputable scientific
a. organizations.
7. Lists of “good” and “bad” foods.
8. Recommendations made to help sell a product.
9. Recommendations on studies published without peer review.
10. Recommendations from studies that ignore difficulties among individuals or groups.
Next time you hear some nutrition or health information, ask “where’s the proof?” You might get a surprised reaction from somebody trying to sell you something.
Rene Norman, RD/LD
René Norman, RD/LD is a registered and licensed dietitian. René has provided medical nutrition therapy for cardiovascular, diabetes, obesity, celiac disease, wellness and disease prevention in a variety of settings. While working in a private practice, René enjoyed counseling individuals and families and delivering presentations to schools, community groups and corporations. Guided by evidence based practices, emerging research, non-diet approaches to weight management and nearly a decade of experience with bariatric patients, René works with bariatric patients to educate them about nutrition before and after surgery.
Rene’ graduated from the University of Tulsa and completed her dietitian internship through Oklahoma State University. Rene’ is a member of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Oklahoma Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and has served in leadership positions in local and state dietetics associations.
I do feel sorry for health and science writers because they are often asked to distill some very complicated research down into a form that average people can understand. Usually, what most people want to know is what will instantly and easily solve their perceived problem. We don't like uncertainty and ambiguity. We want THE ANSWER.
I always like the statistics that get thrown around with nothing stating about the number of samples, if they were random, unbiased, taking into effect other factors, etc..
80% of the people agree with this, 15% disagree and 10% are not sure. 
i made 12 million dollars working at home, on google and through this website, last month alone...
Ha Ha
I really despise those people. I got called last night by one of those windows service centers for your computer, i wont mention the country of origin because people think I am racist if i mention a foreign country, but anyway. I unfortunately was not in a good mood, was trying to rush out to he gym it was 96 degrees, i had just come home from work, i was washing a frying pan and dropped it and had to wipe up soapy Water on the floor etc, and got that call, and I just exploded at the guy, lol truthfully though i did feel better after. I do love to mess with telemarketers, like the last idiot that called about solar panels, i told him " im sorry sir, but on my planet, we dont have a sun, just ambient cosmic radiation." i was met with stunned silence.
I love window salesmen, to them i usually say, I have no windows in my home, i bricked them all up to keep out the zombies. That usually gets a chuckle.
Stevehud 1,790
Posted
Im always skepticalof anything that ends with, ..."...and my new book." lol thats why people like dr phil and dr oz etc. are so despised by me. people will do anything for money.
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