by Judith Richards

Created on: July 30, 2008

"Coffee is good for you; it can protect you from colon cancer." How many times do you hear and read such statements in the newspaper, magazines or on TV newscasts? The next week you'll hear that the latest study says coffee is bad for you because it increases your risk of developing heart disease. Do these reports influence your dietary choices? Is the news media totally responsible for influencing dietary trends? I believe there are other forces at work as well and they are listed below:

1. Scientific studies. They are put out by the media and health organizations as the latest study for the consumer, highly recommending you follow the guidelines so you remain healthy and live a long life.

2. Medical Personnel. You doctor will have access to the latest studies and, feeling they
are beneficial, will prescribe the latest guidelines to you the patient. Of course, we believe our doctors to be infallible and follow their advice.

3. FDA. The FDA, by labeling studies as approved by their organization, tells the consumer, that yes, they have reviewed this report or study and found it to be valid. You
trust the FDA to bring you the latest well researched information. Their labeling on products: "FDA Approved" gives many consumers confidence about the product they are buying.

4. Food Manufacturers. By touting their products through advertising as healthy and
beneficial for you, they hope to influence your dietary trends and buying decisions.
Many times they will latch on to the latest reports that validate the benefits of their
products.

5. Media. As discussed above, the media disseminates all the studies, reports, FDA,
guidelines, and advertising to all consumers. We hear short reports of a minute or less or read brief articles about the latest study on a food and what that means for you. There is little else for you the consumer to examine.

6. Consumer. The consumer has the choice to buy into all this information and recommendations or not and if they do they often end up wondering what is safe to eat anymore. Many times they revert back to their old eating habits thinking that what is forbidden this week will be healthy next week.

If we look at all of these we can see that many different entities are responsible for the dietary trends as they influence the consumer to eat a certain way or to eat certain foods. However, as consumers we have the choice to accept the information or not. We are responsible for dietary trends ultimately, by the choices we make. With so much information coming at us from all sides, it is our responsibility to make wise choices after carefully considering the information, where it came from and how the studies were conducted.
In many cases it's important to remember that too much of any one thing is not healthy; moderation is the key.

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