What can you believe on the internet?

POLOKWANE – In this modern era, self-publishing and sharing your opinion is not easy.  You can start your own blog with the click of a button, while getting a webpage is not difficult.

There is a sea of information (and misinformation) at our finger tips and it can get confusing to most people to say the least!

Dietitians are committed to provide people with clear and easily understandable dietary advice that is based on scientific findings that have been proven to be safe and effective in managing your health.

But just in case you want to do your own research to find out more about a specific topic, keep these tips in mind:

Is the person, product or article:

• Promising a quick fix or miracle cure? The old saying is very true in these cases:  “if it sounds too good to be true, then it likely is”.  Making dietary changes comes down to you making a commitment to eat well and exercise regularly.  There is no short cut.
• Trying to sell a product (for example special food or supplement) instead of providing information on how to eat healthy at home/work/school/when eating out. They are just trying to make some money out of you and doesn’t have your best interest at heart.
• Provide information based on personal stories rather than on facts? It is nice to read about a success story from a celebrity, but it is not proof that the products works or is true.  (is is possible that they were paid to say that the product worked for them…)  Nutrition advice should be based on the best available scientific research facts out there.
• Making a claim based on a single study or only a few research studies, while ignoring a lot of contrasting studies. Was the study done on human or animals, and if it was done on humans are they similar to you with regards to age, gender, activity level etc.  A strong study design and many studies providing the same information is more likely to be true.
• Qualified to provide you with dietary information? You wouldn’t ask a doctor to build your house, and the same thinking should apply for nutrition information.  Always ask for credentials when looking for dietary information.