As future leaders in the health and wellness fields, you will be asked to make decisions regarding the efficacy and safety of dietary supplements, weight loss programs, fad diets, and ergogenic aids (performance enhancing substances). This is no small task given that we are constantly inundated with written, oral, and web-based nutritional information claiming to be the next great panacea. Being experts your field, it is important that you are able to identify legitimate, factual claims from snake oil (false claims, promising quick results/remedies). Thus, the purpose of this paper to utilize our acquired knowledge and scientific literature to assess nutrition related claims in an objective manner.
There are a few approaches you can take for this paper:
1) You can choose a nutrition related article from a fitness/health magazine, or online resource, which advocates the use of a supplement or weight loss program or fad diet or ergogenic aid, then summarize the main points that the article is making on benefits/effectiveness of it use. Subsequently, you will need to analyze the claims that the product or practice is making by utilizing scientific research which supports of disputes these claims. (Please include the article attached to your paper).
2) You can identify a popular supplement or weight loss program or fad diet or ergogenic aid, then present the claims that the product or practice make as to the benefits/effectiveness of its use. Subsequently, you will need to analyze the claims that the product or practice is making by utilizing scientific research which supports of disputes these claims.
There are lots of claims being made, find research that support or disprove the claims being made. If you don’t have scientific research, all we have are opinions and have resolved nothing.
The paper should include and the things I will be looking for are as follows:
1. Introduction (20 points)
a. Identify the topic that is being addressed.
i. The topic should be concise, given the brevity of the paper (~2 pages).
1. Attach the article if you are analyzing an article
b. Provide a brief overview of the background to the topic that is analyzed in the paper.
i. What claims are being made?
ii. By what mechanism does it work?
iii. What is the dosing regimen (i.e. how much how often)?
iv. Who is the target audience?
2. Body of the Paper (40 points)
a. Use relevant research to take a position or provide information on the topic that you are addressing.
i. Relevant research means that you are citing peer reviewed journal articles in your quest for knowledge (not magazine or newspaper articles, etc.).
ii. Relevant research means that the studies are generalizable to the topic that you are addressing.
1. The search engine pubmed and pubmed tutorial (refer to assignment instructions – helpful resources) will be of assistance in finding relevant research articles.
b. Discuss your topic thoroughly and if applicable your position adequately.
i. In several paragraphs, address each claim and whether or not there is scientific information to support or refute these claims.
ii. Make sure that all statements are thoroughly explained. As I read your paper, I will ask the question, why? As such, when you proofread your paper look for statements that are not adequately explained and cannot answer why.
iii. Are there any possible side effects?
iv. Provide suggestions for future research, if applicable.
3. Summary (20 points)
a. Summarize your paper and draw your conclusion(s) in a clear and concise manner.
i. Do you recommend this supplement or weight loss program or fad diet or ergogenic aid and why or why not?
4. Format of the Paper (20 points)
a. Title Page
i. Course title and number.
ii. Title of paper
iii. Name
iv. Date
b. Paper:
i. The paper should be single-spaced with double-spacing between paragraphs, 1-inch margins, and 12-point, Times New Roman font. You need to include at a minimum 3 scientific references, and you may include a drawing or figure convey some of the content of your article (pictures, when used correctly are great).
ii. Make sure to proofread your paper so it is clear, grammatically correct, and is free of spelling errors.
iii. Only WORD or PDF submissions will be accepted.
c. Length:
i. The paper should be ~1000 words in length (~2 pages), excluding title page.
d. Citations:
i. Use the APA style. A minimum of three (scientific) citations is required; however, I would anticipate and encourage you to find more sources.
