Web Watch: Nutrition

Clicking on the Web… Americans receive more conflicting information about nutrition than perhaps any other health-related topic. The diet industry bombards consumers with data about how differing nutritional choices can effect weight loss. The food industry prominently brands products with nutritional information that supports weight-loss trends (fat free) or popular health concerns (zinc, calcium). The steady release of scientific studies, which often seem to contradict each other, helps promote the cliché that "there is nothing safe to eat."

Despite, or perhaps owing to, all this nutritional information, many Americans steadfastly ignore the nutritional aspects of their food. Only when a health issue arises do some consumers seriously begin to research the nutritional implications of what they ingest. Reputable nutrition web sites provide a disclaimer that says their online information is no substitute for a consultation with a registered dietitian, nutritionist, or other healthcare professional. This column separates the wheat from the chaff among general nutrition sites.

This site stands above all others by organizing so many reputable nutrition and food safety web sites without becoming unwieldy. FNIC was started in 1971 to collect and disseminate information about food and human nutrition. In 1977, FNIC became a permanent part of the National Agricultural Library. On the left of the first page are buttons for eight broad areas: Topics A–Z, Dietary Supplements, Food Composition, Dietary Guidelines, Food Guide Pyramid, FNIC Databases, FNIC Resource Lists, and Consumer Corner.

The Topics A–Z menu provides the best way for the general user to search the site. It lists scores of topics, each linking to its own web site. The eating disorders topic is typical. It is organized into subtopics, including general information, binge eating, education resources, exercise and eating disorders, and more. Each subtopic includes clearly marked links out of FNIC to information at government agencies, professional associations, and institutes.

The FNIC Databases provide links to educational and training materials for the general public, educators, food service workers, and social workers. Options for searching are by keyword or advanced, target audience (where users can define it), format, and language. Resource Lists are bibliographies on a variety of topics, organized by subject areas. If you click on The Food Pyramid button you can observe how ten ethnic cuisines fit into the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) food pyramid. There is also a link to an American Dietetic Association article about how some countries use different shapes (pagodas, rainbows) to represent healthy eating patterns.

At the bottom of the first page are links to the more specialized databases. For those who work with participants of the Food Stamps and the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) programs, there is the Food Stamp Nutrition Resource Finder and WIC Works. Both provide educational and training materials. Also, the USDA/FDA Food Borne Illness Materials database contains a wealth of information about keeping kitchen prep areas sanitary.

Since FNIC is a federal government site, it has no advertisements. FNIC's homepage states that the site is updated daily; however, it also states that its last full review was on July 1, 2002.

Bottom Line: For both comprehensiveness and ease in searching, this web site is the best. Be wary of information overload, as some searches can lead to extensive and complex web sites.

MayoClinic.com is a general health portal that draws on the experience and knowledge of the more than 2000 physicians and scientists of the Minnesota Mayo Clinic. Go to the Healthy Living Centers to find Food & Nutrition. This bright and consumer-friendly site begins with news and features (Candy quiz: Do you know how sweet it is?), then lists eight broad subjects: Eat Well, Nutrition Issues, Supplements, Nutrition and Disease Management, Nutrition Basics, Weight Management, Virtual Cookbook, and What's for Dinner? Clicking on each subject leads to a page with further topics. The Eat Well topics include Nutrition Strategies (Mediterranean Diet: consider the benefits), Eating In, Eating Out, Food Safety, and Nutrition/Cookbook reviews. Each topic links to about 12 three- to five-page essays, many of which are adopted from Mayo Clinic publications.

While not nearly as comprehensive as the FNIC, MayoClinic.com delivers sound health information in a series of consistently readable articles. The topics are often popular ones, connecting to current consumer interests (Does DHEA live up to the hype?). The articles are well illustrated. They also have the advantage of linking to the rest of MayoClinic.com, useful when connecting nutritional issues to broader health issues. Each essay is dated, and most include a brief bibliography.

Bottom Line: Well-written essays that highlight selective nutritional issues provide an excellent place to begin research—especially if the topic is either basic or popular.

Nutrition Challenge is a Jeopardy-like game designed to test nutritional knowledge. Nutrition Profile allows visitors to understand food choices better by entering the foods they ate that day. At the end, a report of nutrients (energy, protein, fat, carbohydrate, fiber) and vitamins that have been consumed is provided and compared with the recommended daily intake. The personalized Meal Planner is designed to help consumers determine the kinds and amounts of food to eat; it gives feedback on the calories, fat, and fiber you get from the foods you select. It's a great learning tool, as consumers can add and subtract from planned meals until they reach the optimum results. The Physical Activity Quiz provides feedback on activity levels with tips for active living.

Dietitians of Canada also includes a lengthy list of FAQs as well as facts sheets (in PDFs) on topics as varied as Up the Anti-Oxidants and Prenatal Nutrition.

Bottom Line: A site that allows users to learn about nutrition, or check their knowledge, through activities that reflect their daily lives.

Nutrition Navigator
navigator.tufts.edu
The clear and easy-to-use Nutrition Navigator, developed by Tufts University, is a rating and review guide designed to both help users find the information best suited to their needs and determine whether to trust the information they find. Web sites are reviewed by Tufts nutritionists, who apply a rating and evaluation criteria developed by the Tufts University Nutrition Navigator Advisory Board. Click on men, women, seniors, families, general nutrition, educators, health professionals, and journalists to find the best sites, with brief annotations, for each target group.

Fast Food Nutrition Fact Explorer
www.fatcalories.com
3 Fat Chicks…on a Diet! (3FC)
www.3fatchicks.com
The Fast Food Nutrition Explorer tracks the nutritional data presented on the web sites of ten of the most popular fast food restaurant chains in the world. The result is a searchable database that is powerful yet easy to use. Searches can return nutrition facts sorted by total calories, fat calories, percentage of calories from fat, cholesterol, sodium, carbohydrates, protein, or fiber. The advanced search mode compares up to three restaurants' menus and allows comparison by specific items. 3FC is a rare weight-loss web site because it does not try to sell memberships to a diet club. 3FC is an online community for all kinds of dieters to share war stories, trade tips on losing and maintaining their weight, and provide support. 3FC's Fast Food Guide lists the nutritional content of menu items from 30 fast food restaurant franchises in the United States, Canada, and the UK. Unlike the Fast Food Nutrition Explorer, 3FC's Fast Food Guide cannot compare specific types of fast food items.

Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI)
www.cspinet.org
Council for Biotech Information
www.whybiotech.com
Greenpeace International: Genetic Engineering
archive.greenpeace.org/~geneng
Center for Science in the Public Interest focuses on using ethical scientific practices to improve the safety and nutritional quality of the nation's food supply. The first page provides links to news updates, new special reports, and links organized by topics (food additives). There is also a link to highlights from its award-winning monthly newsletter, Nutrition Action Healthletter. Usually, reliable scientific research can prove or disprove a product's claims. However, the debate about the environmental and health aspects of genetically modified food versus organic food puts a spin on conventional wisdom. The Council for Biotech Information is the public relations web site of the agribiotech industry. The purpose of this site is to educate the general public about the positive contributions that biotechnology has made in improving the output and nutritional quality of the world's food supply. In contrast, Greenpeace International: Genetic Engineering is designed to educate the public about the hidden dangers of all genetic engineering. It includes a page specifically about genetically engineered food, with a list of questions and links to recent stories.

Cultural Food Pyramid
www.semda.org/info/#pyramid
Nutritional Education for New Americans Project
monarch.gsu.edu/nutrition/index.htm
Ethnic food has always been part of our American culinary heritage, but in recent years ethnic cuisine has become more popular with the general public. The Southeast Michigan Dietetic Association's Cultural Food Pyramid takes the pyramid diagrams one step further by illustrating how food from 16 ethnic cuisines can fit into the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's food pyramid. Georgia State University's Nutritional Education for New Americans Project has downloadable, bilingual nutritional materials written in 37 languages. The Spanish-language sites contain articles relevant to children, mature adults, and and mother and infant well-being as well as using Latin American foods in the U.S. food pyramid.