Media & Information Literacy: Health & Phys Ed

STANDARD 2: Students will analyze the influence of family, peers, culture, media, technology, and other factors on health behaviors.
STANDARD 3: Students will demonstrate the ability to access valid information and products and services to enhance health.

National Health Education Standards (NHES)

Health and nutrition misinformation is very common across all kinds of media and information sources. The National Health Education Standards (NHES) Standard 2: "Students will analyze the influence of family, peers, culture, media, technology, and other factors on health behaviors" and Standard 3: "Students will demonstrate the ability to access valid information and products and services to enhance health" are directly related to media and information literacy.

Unfortunately, health and nutrition misinformation is very common across all kinds of media and information sources. To help navigate this misinformation, here are:

Top Ten Red Flags

for Health & Nutrition Misinformation

1. Recommendations that promise a quick fix.
2. Dire warnings of danger from a single product or regimen.
3. Claims that sound too good to be true.
4. Simplistic conclusions drawn from a complex study.
5. Recommendations based on a single study.
6. Dramatic statements that are refuted by reputable scientific organizations.
7. Lists of “good” and “bad” foods.
8. “Spinning” information from another product to match the producer’s claims.
9. Stating that research is “currently underway,” indicating that there is no current research.
10. Non-science based testimonials supporting the product, often from celebrities or highly satisfied customers.

For more information, check out the Nutrition Misinformation: How to Identify Fraud and Misleading Claims page and fact sheet from Colorado State University.

Sources: Finding Reliable Healthcare Information Online; Nutrition Misinformation: How to Identify Fraud and Misleading Claims