Why today’s health-conscious consumer gets a bit confused

By Peggy Weber, Catholic News Service

The two women pushed their carts slowly through the grocery store. They stopped in the dairy section and looked over the array of items.

“Butter’s on sale. But I can’t remember which is better for you—butter or margarine,” said one shopper to the other.

I overheard this comment during a recent shopping trip. But similar questions probably have been repeated in grocery stores, restaurants, health clubs and doctors’ waiting rooms everywhere.

Is coffee good or bad?

Is the low-carb craze good for me?

Is jogging, swimming or weightlifting the best exercise?

Should I use hormone replacement therapy or go without it?

Clearly, today’s health-conscious consumer has every right to be a bit confused.

Nancy Andersun, a registered dietician at Baystate Medical Center’s Children’s Hospital in Springfield, Mass., said that nutrition advice today has gotten a bit muddled.

“Nutrition is a very young science. The American Dietetic Association is only 30 years old,” she said in an interview.

“Nutrition has only now been recognized as a real science, and because of that a body of research is emerging. It is not stagnant. It is always going to change as we understand more about nutrition and more studies are done,” she said.

“So it is all right that there is conflicting data. As frustrating as that is for us, it shows us that there are real researchers doing real scientifically based studies.”

Though the jury may be out on some medical studies, Andersun said there are some guidelines for consumers in making good judgments.

“You want to look for somebody who is a licensed nutrition professional when you are seeking advice,” she said.

“Be wary of books. They can be written by anybody. They are there for a purpose—to sell more books. And sometimes the more radical the book, the more it sells,” said Andersun.
Fad diets, including the most recent low-carb craze, are not the way to go, she believes. “The problem with fad diets is that they offer a glamorous, quick fix. And despite unhealthy outcomes over the long term, people still want the quick fix,” she said.

Andersun advised people to avoid any extreme diet.

Regarding the margarine versus butter controversy, Andersun said that a trans-fat-free margarine–- made with olive oil or canola oil–-is best.

Coffee is acceptable in moderation, Andersun said. “One or two cups a day will not stunt your growth or affect your cardiac health.”

And red wine, taken in six-ounce servings a few times a week, is fine, according to Andersun.
But most people should focus not on what they shouldn’t but on what they should eat, she said. She advised switching to a Mediterranean-style diet that includes nine or more servings of fruits and vegetables a day.

“Smart Health Choices: How to Make Informed Health Decisions,” a book by Les Irwig, Judy Irwig and Melissa Sweet, advises that “whether you are considering taking vitamin supplements or having surgery, you need to know the effectiveness of the options and their side effects. You need to know what questions to ask your practitioner.”

Their first lesson to health consumers is to consider the source. “What matters is not whether someone famous recommends a particular product but whether there is evidence from randomized, controlled trials showing that it is more likely to do good than harm.”

They also noted that “health and medical experts do not always get it right.”

To make any informed health decision, “Smart Health Choices” says a person should ask such questions as:

• What will happen if I do nothing?

• What are my options?

• What are the benefits and risks for me?

• Do I have enough information to make a choice?

Medical and nutritional decisions can be difficult. However, collecting some information and using common sense are important.

“There is no pill or supplement that is a panacea. A balanced diet of Mother Nature’s forms of food, in moderation, is truly the best,” Andersun said.

Peggy Weber is a columnist and reporter for The Catholic Observer newspaper in Springfield, Mass.