Transcript The Truth About Diet Myths

Presented by: Jenna Smith, MPH, RD
Extension Educator, Nutrition and Wellness
University of Illinois Extension
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This program will teach you:
 The truth about 10 nutrition myths
 How to recognize common misleading words
 How to spot a myth and other instant red flags
 How to find reliable resources
Calories don’t know the
difference from day to
night
 Calories stored overnight
can be used the next
morning
 When snacking at night,
people tend to choose
unhealthy snacks
 Night snackers tend to
over eat
 Tip: try choosing
something light like fruit or
a bowl of cereal
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Saturated fat: Solid at room
temperature
 Increases LDL levels
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Trans fat: chemically
modified through
hydrogenation
 Increases shelf life
 Increases LDL levels and
decreases HDL levels
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Unsaturated fat: liquid at
room temperature
 Generally from fish and
vegetarian sources
 Increases HDL levels
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If a food doesn’t taste salty,
don’t assume it doesn’t
have sodium
Many processed foods
contain a lot of sodium
 Check the label
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Sea salt & table salt have the same amount of
sodium chloride by weight
Sea salt: evaporated salt water; has certain
minerals depending on water source
Table salt: mined from underground salt
deposits
 Heavily processed to eliminate minerals; additives
to prevent clumping
 Iodine included
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Consider the situation
that the child is in while
consuming the sugar
 Birthday parties, rewards,
holidays
 Many children become
excited from the situation,
not the consumption of
the sugar

Sugar can cause tooth
decay and lead to
obesity
Protein is needed to
help rebuild muscles
 Much of the food we
normally consume has
all the protein we need
 After a workout, a
small carton of low-fat
chocolate milk is all the
protein you need
 Whey powder protein
mixes aren’t needed

Look for the word
“whole”
 Not all wheat bread
has whole grains in it
 Whole grains are a
good source of fiber,
vitamin e, selenium,
zinc & potassium
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Its important to have
carbs by eating whole
grains, beans, fruit &
vegetables
 Body’s main source for
fuel, vital nutrients, and
fiber
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While low carb diets may
lead to initial weight
loss, studies prove it is
difficult to maintain
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Type 2 diabetes is caused
by the body’s resistance
to insulin
Insulin takes sugar from
blood to cells, so when
glucose builds up it can
cause complications
Risk factors:
 High blood pressure, family
history, ethnicity, physical
activity & obesity

High-fructose corn
syrup and sucrose have
almost identical
compositions
 HFCS: 55% fructose,
45% glucose
 Sucrose: 50% fructose,
50% glucose
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What matters is how
much sugar including
HFCS you consume
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Max cholesterol per
day:300mg
 Each egg has approx.
211mg

Saturated and trans
fats raise blood
cholesterol, which can
clog arteries

‘Natural’ and ‘organic’ have nothing to do
with a food’s nutrition
 Organic: how the product is grown and produced
 Natural: food item is minimally synthesized

‘Pasteurized’ and ‘irradiation’ aren’t always
bad.
 They help to protect our foods and keep them
safe
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Promises that sound too
good to be true or have
dramatic statements
Ask an expert
 Registered dietitian
 Licensed dietitian
 Government agencies,
health organizations,
educational institutions
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There are no magic
treatments
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Keep in mind:
 Who wrote it?
 Why was it published?
 How are nutritional claims
supported?
 What or who was studied?
 How large was the group
who were studied?
 Is any information left out?
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A promise to a quick fix
Items that sound too
good to be true
Little or no physical
activity needed
Emphasis on a single
food or nutrient
Elimination of a food or
food group
Miracle foods and diet
magic
Lists of “good” and
“bad” foods
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Most credibility:
 .edu: Educational
institution
 .gov: Government agency
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Some credibility:
 .org: Organizations, often
nonprofit
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Least credibility:
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.com: Commercial sites
.net: Networks
.info: General use
.biz: Business
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Look for a contact
address, phone number,
or email
Check the links for
supporting data
Check when the website
was last updated for
current information
Look for accreditation or
certification symbols
Be sure your privacy is
protected
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Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics
 www.eatright.org
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National Agricultural Library, USDA
 www.nutrition.gov
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USDA choose my plate
 www.choosemyplate.gov