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The Freedom Food Alliance is partnering with Rooted Research Collective to produce a report on digital nutrition misinformation and its links to rising rates of chronic diseases.
Read more: Leading UK Nutritionist Busts Myths Around Vegan Pregnancies
Watchdog and consumer advocacy organization The Freedom Food Alliance and Rooted Research Collective’s multidisciplinary team aim to tackle the “growing issue of nutrition misinformation” by investigating the influence of social media on dietary habits.
The partnership’s upcoming report, titled Nutrition Misinformation in the Digital Age, will integrate consumer awareness campaigns, make recommendations for policy and regulation, and will also include advocacy for accountability from social media platforms.
Other key objectives include the identification of misinformation sources, the evaluation of motivations and impact, and evidence-based campaigns to counter said misinformation, which the partners say could be linked to rising rates of chronic diseases.
“The prevalence of dietary misinformation poses a significant public health challenge,” said Robbie Lockie, CEO and founder of the Freedom Food Alliance, in a statement. “We are witnessing a tidal wave of misinformation that fuels preventable health issues.”
Read more: Beyond Meat Reports ‘Strong’ Q2 – Despite ‘Misinformation’ About Plant-Based Category
‘Nutrition misinformation must be stopped’
A survey conducted by MyFitnessPal suggests that 57 percent of Millennial and Gen Z TikTok users are swayed by trending nutrition advice on the platform. Furthermore, some of the top “fad diets” focus on detoxing and liquid cleanses, neither of which are science-backed.
The survey also mentions the controversial Carnivore Diet, which Harvard epidemiology and nutrition professor Dr Walter Willett recently called “basically a terrible idea.” Additionally, around 31 percent of those who tried trending extreme diets experienced adverse effects.
In response to the results, MyFitnessPal and Dublin City University also developed a checklist-style resource to help TikTok users spot inaccuracies and increase digital health literacy.
“The spread of nutrition misinformation must be stopped,” added Marlana Malerich, co-founder of Rooted Research Collective. “The Freedom Food Alliance team and Robbie Lockie have a strong track record of elevating social issues to the forefront of public discourse.”
In March of this year, The Freedom Food Alliance published a report analyzing how the meat industry undermines sustainability efforts through disinformation.
Read more: US Senator Cory Booker Says Giant Meat Corporations Must Be ‘Held Accountable’
