From fake news to articles full of medical misinformation circulating around the internet, it’s starting to feel pretty common to second-guess the headlines and articles you see online. We’ve seen a lot of this misinformation aroundCOVID-19and vaccines, and in general, the health and wellness world is full of less-than-qualified people touting incorrect health claims.
How do you really know if what you’re reading is legit?
Let’s get the bad news over with first: sifting fact from fiction is not as black and white as we’d like it to be. That said, there are few ways you can easily do a quick fact-check on the story, the facts in the article, and even the overall news source.
We won’t go so far as to say we can prevent a family disagreement at the dinner table, but we feel confident we can at the very least loweryourstress a little.
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Here’s how to find out if the nutrition and health info you’re reading is actually true:
1. Look at what comes after the dot
Click on those linked articles and, at the very least, scan them. If the referring websites are also credible (more on that below, of course), then the content you’re reading should be legit. That said, read a few snippets of that linked content and their sites: are they credible, but most importantly, does the information they link out to match what is touted in the original source? For instance, if article “A” says that apples help you jump rope faster and higher, does the linked resource actually talk about mice jumping rope faster and higher or is it about kids at the playground after they ate applesauce?
4. Beware of scare tactics
If the nutrition information alludes to some habits as verboten, proceed with caution. “Stating that perfectly healthful foods are ‘toxic’ or that without a certain product or supplement, your health is in danger, steer clear,” says Aronson. Similarly, hyperbolic language like “unprecedented,” “revolutionary,” or “miraculous,” should all be warning signs, advises Aronson.
And also: “If the site pressures you to buy a product or program, or gives you a short window of time to buy at a discount, move along,” says Aronson.
5. Read between the research lines
6. Go deeper, if time is on your side
Bottom line
Sorry to say, but overall, if it’s too good to be true, it’s not true. Here’s why: “If unbelievable claims about fast weight loss or quick fixes were true, we’d all be slender and healthy,” says Aronson.
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