Translational Medical Research Commons^™

Lost In Translation? Communicating Nutrition Science, Lindsay Yarabek Datlow

Doctor of Philosophy in Translational Health Sciences Dissertations

Diet is directly correlated with overall health; therefore, nutrition is a critical piece of the obesity-epidemic puzzle. The news media has become a primary source for nutrition information yet results from International Food Information Council surveys indicate that the majority of Americans view the nutrition news they read as inconsistent and confusing. Very recent inquiry provides empirical evidence that nutrition confusion could be fueled by media. Nutrition confusion has been causally linked to “nutrition backlash,” which is complete disregard for even the most strongly supported nutrition advice. Understanding how nutrition research is translated in the news media and the mechanisms …