Free Evaluating Health and Nutrition Blogs Essay Sample
This blog was created by Marion Nestle to casually, but accurately, inform readers about diet and nutrition, including how the food industry influences this important aspect of American life. The blog’s articles encompass a large spectrum a sub-topics to the subject of dietary health. From calorie counting and portion control to organic crop yields and food marketing, the blog discusses a range of food-related issues in an attempt to better educate and inform the public about nutrition in America in many different ways, while also establishing the blog’s author as a credible and reliable expert in this field. I give this blog a rating of 4.5 for its accurate, current, objective, credible and thorough coverage of the topic by an authoritative expert in this important field.
Publisher and author, Marion Nestle, is a professor in the Department of Nutrition, Food Studies, and Public Health, and Professor of Sociology at New York University (Nestle). Nestle has many years of experience in Public Health and Food Science. Nestle was a senior nutrition policy advisor in the Department of Health and Human Services and managing editor of the 1988 Surgeon General’s Report on Nutrition and Health (Nestle). As a critical review of her blog suggests, Nestle’s comments and recommendations are worth reviewing and following.
The most valuable aspect of Nestle’s blog is the wide variety of credible, accurate and current resources she makes available to readers in a simplistic, unbiased and easy to read format. Nestle’s tone is authoritative and informative, yet the language is simple enough for just about anyone to understand. She cites many other professional resources, such as the FDA and USDA-NASS data, while also incorporating other voices that have weighed in on the topic of food nutrition, such as a speech given by Prince Charles. Nestle uses lots of examples and thought-provoking questions alongside her research findings and conclusions in order to make the information easier for people to understand, which I think is an invaluable aspect of this blog. While many of the articles are based in Nestle’s opinion, her strong credentials and the accuracy of the claims she makes in comparison with other professional findings on the topic lend strength and give credence to these articles.
One article that I did disagree with somewhat is entitled, “Never Mind Food, Let’s Aginvest!.” In this article, the claim is made that “farmers will become rich and agricultural commodity prices will continue to rise in the long-term” (Nestle); however, my informal research on the topic over the years seems to indicate that farming is industry-controlled and many farmers are suffering severe financial loss due to the low costs associated with mass production. On the other hand, I think the article entitled, “Nutritionist’s Notebook: Portion Control” is one of this blog’s most valuable resources. Not only is the information accurate and up to date, but it is possibly the most important information that anyone looking to improve their dietary health can learn about.
Perhaps the least valuable aspect of this blog is its’ non-textual elements. The blog is easy to navigate, and has a convenient selection on the right hand side of the different topics discussed. The few photos that are used in the blog, however, are not very relevant. They mainly depict images of Nestle’s prior published work, such as books. I think it would be helpful if Nestle were to include more relevant photos of food, such as appropriate portion sizes, as well as charts that depict caloric intake, obesity rates, and other pertinent representations. This is the only area in which I think the blog falls a bit short, and is why I gave a rating of 4.5 out of 5 for this resource.
In conclusion, I think Nestle’s blog is a valuable resource for anyone looking to learn about diet and nutrition. Unlike other blogs or informal websites, which aren’t always the most credible sources, foodpolitics.com is written by an expert on the topic and includes many other professional and scholarly sources in the information that is presented to readers. Nestle’s blog is accurate, objective and informative while being easy to read and understand. Foodpolitics.com is a great resource for learning about nutrition, especially in light of America’s obesity issues and poor eating habits.