Nutrition is not only the study and application of how calories, vitamins and minerals affect our health; it is also a whole branch of marketing. Food sells and the profit margin can be very high especially for foods that are shelf-stable, most of which also fall into the category of “junk food”. These foods taste good, but food marketers use research (some current, some ancient) to proclaim that their food not only tastes great, but is good for you.

With new research coming out all the time, there is no shortage to the new information food manufacturers can try to slap on the front of their products to entice shoppers. This same research is fueling the media too. As a population, we are very interested in learning about our health, and often newspapers (print and online) and other health reports consistently lure in a high number of readers who are interested in reading about the newest research on supplements, or a current food recall. With the combination of food marketing and media reports on current research, it can be very difficult to distill out the real health message.

This is because the real health message is not very sexy. No one wants to hear that the best way to stay healthy is to eat well, exercise, get enough sleep, quit smoking and stay hydrated. Consumers are looking for the quick fix, the way to “drop 10 pound in 10 days,” unfortunately the quick fix is not realistic or scientifically based.  Become an educated consumer when it comes to your health; find out what foods and supplements can really help and which are really just doing more harm than good.