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University of Reading

Food and Nutrition: The Truth Behind Food Headlines

University of Reading and EIT Food via FutureLearn

Overview

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Rebuild your trust in nutrition science and look beyond the media headlines

Please note this course runs without facilitation

Due to conflicting messages from the media, it’s becoming harder to know what to believe when it comes to following a healthy diet and lifestyle.

On this course, you’ll compare how nutrition and health topics are handled by the media and science.

You’ll be encouraged to think critically about the information behind media headlines and come to your own conclusions about what’s good for you.

You’ll explore the psychology of why we’re easily influenced by headlines and learn about different types of biases, like confirmatory and availability bias.

You’ll also learn how to find reliable information online and identify unreliable health studies.

This course is designed for anyone who is losing trust in media headlines about how what we eat affects our health and who wants to get to the truth.

If you’re looking to expand your knowledge on this topic, you might also find of interest the following EIT Food courses on food, nutrition and science communication:

  • Understanding Food Labels
  • Understanding Mediterranean and Okinawa Diets
  • Nutrition for Health and Sustainability
  • The Human Microbiome
  • Food for Thought: The Relationship Between Food, Gut and Brain

Syllabus

  • What's behind a headline
    • Welcome
    • How do we interpret headlines?
    • How do journalists produce their news?
    • How is scientific credibility established?
    • Take action
  • Influence and interpretation
    • Welcome to Week 2
    • What bias do readers bring?
    • The statistics behind a headline
    • How do you read a scientific paper?
    • Take action
  • Trust
    • Welcome to Week 3
    • How do you find reliable information?
    • How do you check if an article is credible?
    • How is a scientific study published?
    • Take action

Taught by

Jing Guo

Reviews

4.6 rating, based on 5 Class Central reviews

Start your review of Food and Nutrition: The Truth Behind Food Headlines

  • Anonymous
    ITS WAS A NICE CHANCE TO LEARN ABOUT WHAT BEHIND THE FOOD HEADLINES AS WE HAD A COMFUSION ABOUT WHAY WE FACE A DIFRENT STUDIES IN SAME TOPIC WITH DIFFRENT OPPENION
  • Profile image for Khaled.s Shaheen
    Khaled.s Shaheen
    The course is very good, and discusses very important topics. In fact, I was hoping that the course would contain more attached videos and illustrative pictures than it did.
    You know that videos facilitate understanding much more than written speech, but I really benefited a lot from the course, and it is a step towards achieving my dream, and when I reach the summit, I will remember you in front of everyone , i hope more courses in this topics..
  • Anonymous
    it wasn't quite what I expected, but I see it would be of use for those who have not had experience of reading journal articles. I came to the course late, but noticed that the comments varied considerably in number as the course progressed. Maybe the title needs tweaking to reflect more closely just what the course will cover and how it will cover it?
  • Anonymous
    an amazing course to learn because this is related to what we faced everyday. we usually read a headlines, artikel on internet and directly believe it. we usually not concern to compare it to the right journal and there's so many misinterpretation on it. i recommended this course!
  • Anonymous
    Thank you, this was very enjoyable and informative, and at a good pace too - not stressful with plenty time to engage

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