Food Myth Buster

Instructions

 Bust the myth. 

 To research the validity of the product’s claims, address the following questions.

1.  Is the health claim meaningful? Or is the claim so vague that it is true of all food? E.g. did you know that FDA rules allow all food items to claim that they “support the immune system”? 

2.  Could the ingredients listed on the product possibly cause the claimed health benefits? 

3.  Does the claim imply that there are scientific studies or data to back it up? If so, do such scientific data exist, and do they indeed back up the claim? 

4.  What additional information could you find that supports or contradicts the claim? Are these primary sources (original reports by the scientist) or secondary sources (reports about the science written by someone who did not do the research)? 

5.  Can you find multiple sources for the core facts of the arguments that you found pro or contra the claim? Or can all arguments be traced back to one source? 

6.  Would you buy the product based on its claims? Why or why not? 

 Make a flyer. 

1.  Summarize your findings in a flyer (300-500 words).  

2.  Make it look like a flyer that could be handed out at an information booth or posted on a notice board. 

3.  Use the peer-review rubric & the provided example as instructions for a good flyer. 

Make sure that:

1. This brochure clearly states the name of the product & how it works. It proves that product is real (e.g. picture of the ad).

2. This brochure supplies useful information showing that this product can/cannot reduce weight. It is not just anecdotal or persuasive.

3. I learned something new when I read this brochure. This brochure tells me more than what everybody already thinks or knows.

4. The brochure showed that real thought and effort went into it. It was not full of egregious errors in spelling and grammar.

5. The brochure’s message was loud and clear. It was not just a collage of unconnected statements that were difficult to follow.

6. The brochure translates the hype of the product into objective language that helps me to evaluate the claim(s) critically.

7. The brochure presents facts & arguments pro and contra the claim(s). It explains the mode of weight loss (reduce caloric intake | increase caloric output) and whether this product could really work.

8. The brochure then weighs these pros and cons to formulate a clear and persuasive conclusion.

9. The brochure points out health risks and benefits (such as the weight staying off).

10. The brochure uses original scientific data to make the point.