Nutrition Fads, Fallacies, and Scams Ask health-food store salespeople about several products and the evidence said to substantiate their use. Describe and evaluate the replies. Invite a nutrition expert to class to discuss food faddism. Have students analyze a book or magazine that contains unreliable nutrition information or promotes faddism. Have students report on their personal use of dietary supplements, including the types of products, dosage, reasons for use, and apparent benefits or adverse effects.
Students can also question others and report their findings.
Analyze several supplement advertisements for accuracy. Survey supplement products in a pharmacy, supermarket, or health-food store to see whether any contain or should contain a warning label. Weight Control Visit one or more weight-control clinics to collect information about their services. Review and analyze a popular weight-control book. Interview several people about their experiences in trying to lose weight.