Outline of Chapter 1 – The Art of Understanding Nutrition

I.The Nutrients in Foods

A.The Energy-Yielding Nutrients

B.Vitamins, Minerals, and Water

C.Calorie Value of Carbohydrate, Fat, and Protein

II.Nutrition and Health Promotion

III.A National Agenda for Improving Nutrition and Health

IV.Healthy Aging—Three Powerful Steps: Eat Smart, Move More, Start Early

A.Eat Smart

B.Move More

C.Start Early

V.Understanding Our Food Choices

A.Availability

B.Income, Food Prices, and Convenience

C.Good and Fast—A Guide to Eating on the Run, or Has Your Waistline Been Supersized?

1.Strategy 1: Don’t supersize

2.Strategy 2: Think grilled, not fried

3.Strategy 3: Hold the Mayo

4.Strategy 4: Avoid all-you-can-eat restaurants

5.Strategy 5: “Just say no”

6.Strategy 6: Balance fast-food meals with other food choices during the day

7.Strategy 7: Split your order—share with a friend

8.Strategy 8: Bring your lunch

9.Strategy 9: Choose grab-and-go foods

10.Strategy 10: If all else fails, go for the obvious low-calorie choices

D.Advertising and the Media

E.Social and Cultural Factors

F.Personal Values or Beliefs

G.Other Factors that Affect Our Food Choices

H.You CAN Afford to Eat Nutritious Foods—Tips for Supermarketing

VI.How Do You Tell If It’s Nutrition Fact or Nutrition Fiction?

A.Judging by what I’ve seen on television, it seems as though nutritionists are always changing their minds. Why is there so much controversy?

B.How can I tell if a nutrition news story is noteworthy and a source of credible nutrition information?

C.Why doesn’t the government do something to prevent the media from delivering misleading nutrition information?

D.Is the Internet a reliable source of nutrition and health information?

1.Credibility

2.Accuracy

3.Reasonableness

4.Support

E.Does the First Amendment make it legal for companies to say whatever they want about the products they sell?

F.How can I tell whether a product is bogus?

1.The promoter claims that the medical establishment is against him or her and that the government won’t accept this new “alternative” treatment.

2.The promoter uses testimonials and anecdotes from satisfied customers to support claims.

3.The promoter uses a computer-scored questionnaire for diagnosing “nutrient deficiencies.”

4.The promoter claims that the product will make weight loss easy.

5.The promoter promises that the product is made with a “secret formula” available only from this one company.

6.The treatment is available only through the back pages of magazines, over the phone, or by mail-order ads in the form of news stories or 30-minute commercials in talk-show format.

G.If I buy a product, say, to help me lose weight, but I still need some advice about dieting, should I check with a nutritionist?

H.How can I check a nutritionist’s credentials?