University of FloridaSolutions for Your Life

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Publication #FCS8584-Eng.

Healthy Living: Clues of Quackery1

Linda B. Bobroff and Luisa Oliver-Cordero2

http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/pdffiles/fy/fy09400.pdf

Is there something for sale?

Information provided as part of a sales pitch is often NOT trustworthy!

Is the author/speaker qualified to provide nutrition or health information?

Information from persons who lack formal education in nutrition or health may not be trustworthy. Registered dietitians (RD) licensed nutritionists (LD/N), and nutrition professors (PhD) all have training in nutrition. Health professionals, such as physicians (MD), physician’s assistants (PA), nurses (RN) or nurse practitioner (NP) and pharmacists (PharmD) are good sources of health information.

Is elimination of one or more food groups recommended?

If so, this may be a sign of quackery. For good health, we need a variety of nutrients from all the food groups. Persons from different cultures as well as vegetarians can use MyPlate to learn how to get all the nutrients they need. Information is available at ChooseMyPlate.gov.

Does it sound too good to be true?

Key words that may mean quackery are: “quick,” “painless,” “miracle,” and “cure.”

Footnotes

1.

La versión en español de este documento es Vida Saludable: Indicios de fraude (FCS8484-Span). This document is FCS8584, one in a series of the Department of Family, Youth and Community Sciences, Florida Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida. Publication date: December 2006. Revised: February 2008; August 2011. Visit the EDIS website at http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu.

2.

Linda B. Bobroff, PhD, RD, LD/N, professor, and Luisa Oliver-Cordero, BS, RD, LD/N, former ENAFS nutrition educator/trainer, Department of Family, Youth and Community Sciences, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611.

The Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS) is an Equal Opportunity Institution authorized to provide research, educational information and other services only to individuals and institutions that function with non-discrimination with respect to race, creed, color, religion, age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, national origin, political opinions or affiliations. For more information on obtaining other extension publications, contact your county Cooperative Extension service.

U.S. Department of Agriculture, Cooperative Extension Service, University of Florida, IFAS, Florida A. & M. University Cooperative Extension Program, and Boards of County Commissioners Cooperating. Millie Ferrer-Chancy, Interim Dean.