Health Claims Too Good to Be True? Cut the Quack

We have all seen advertisements for products claiming to help us lose weight quickly, gain that competitive edge in sports or strength training, or even get rid of chronic illnesses.

The reality is that these products usually do nothing for your health and are costly. Moreover, unproven products, remedies, and alternative treatments can sometimes be harmful and give you false hope while necessary medical treatment is delayed. Bottom line: If a product’s claim seems too good to be true, it most likely is. And yet, Americans spend upwards of $30 billion per year on dubious health products and practices. Why? We thrive on wishful thinking and want easy answers to our problems. The quick and painless solutions being sold to us are often too irresistible not to try. 

The name given to profiting from products or processes by using false or misleading health claims is nutrition quackery. Someone who makes promises for a nutrition product or practice that is said to enhance your health, therefore, is called a quack.

Unfortunately, the nutrition field is overflowing with misinformation, partially due to the fact that nutrition is still a fairly young science. With much of the nutrition and health-related research still in its early stages, the public can be left confused about and vulnerable to the wide range of conflicting ideas floating around. Another problem lies in the fact that the media often publicizes study results before they have been validated or conclusively shown to prove a scientific theory. 

So how can you protect yourself against false information and questionable treatments? Here are some things to watch out for:

• The product uses testimonials rather than scientific evidence to prove its effectiveness. Is the information someone’s opinion or the result of years of valid scientific study? Do they rely on sensationalism to convey their message or appeal to emotions rather than provide scientific evidence?
• Simple answers or solutions are proposed to solve complex health or medical problems.
• The emphasis is on selling you something: Be highly suspicious if they come across more as a salesperson than a medical professional.
• They lack valid medical or health-care credentials. Does the person have an academic degree in a scientific or nutrition-related field? (See below to learn how to recognize and locate a trusted nutrition professional).
• The proposed theories or solutions are not confirmed in peer-reviewed medical journals. Instead, they may only appear in books for the lay public. Is the nutrition information presented in a reliable magazine or newspaper, or is it published as an advertisement or in a publication with a questionable reputation?

If you are not sure whom you can trust within the medical or scientific community to get accurate information in regards to your nutrition, read on.

Registered dietitians are recognized by the medical profession as the nutrition experts and are authentic providers of nutrition care. They must complete at least a bachelor’s degree from an accredited university, along with a program of college-level dietetics courses, and are educated in human anatomy and physiology, chemistry, medical nutrition therapy, foods and food science, the behavioral sciences, and foodservice management.  Additionally, a supervised practice experience must be completed and a qualifying exam passed before acquiring the registered dietitian status. Be cautious when looking into a “Nutritionist.” This is an unregulated title, meaning anyone can call him or herself a nutritionist without having any legitimate training or credentials.

The following websites will help you find reliable nutrition information and will help you separate the fact from the fiction:

• Developed by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Healthfinder is a gateway to find reliable health information.

• Find a trusted nutrition professional anywhere in the United States using the American Dietetic Association’s Find a Registered Dietitian portal.

• The Quack Watch and National Council Against Health Fraud (NCAHF) websites can help you determine the accuracy of questionable information.

• The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine website provides science-based information “...from acupuncture to zinc.”

• The Food and Nutrition Information Center (FNIC) website provides a directory to credible and practical nutrition information sources.